Living in small tents superheated by the mid-summer sun, while going through the trauma of the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Ian, is the reality of life for families in the Ha'apai Group who are relying on outside assistance, after loosing all on the afternoon of January 11. A survey team has estimated that by mid-February the food crops would be used up in all the districts of Kauvai Ha’ano, Lifuka, Foa and ‘Uiha, which were badly damaged. Photos courtesy Mana'ia Halafihi.
You are here
Results for Ha'apai
Wednesday 29 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Premium content
Saturday 25 January 2014
Premium content
Sydney, Australia
Tonga will be the first to receive an immediate payout of US$1.27 million under the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Pilot towards the recovery in Ha'apai from Cyclone Ian, the World Bank announced on January 23.
Premium content
Thursday 23 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
New Zealand is providing a further $1.4 million to help Tonga recover from Tropical Cyclone Ian, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully announced on January 22. The contribution will cover resources needed to reconnect power to villages including on smaller outer islands.
Premium content
Thursday 23 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Red Cross is doing “fantastic work in helping Tonga get back on its feet,” said Westpac-Tonga's country head Dennis Quayle, whose staff is assisting in the the cyclone recovery effort.
Premium content
Wednesday 22 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Electric power has been restored to over 100 homes and shops in Ha‘apai's main town Pangai, Ha'apai. However, Tonga Power Ltd's CEO John Van Brink has estimated it will cost around $5 million pa'anga to rebuild a more cyclone resistant power network on the island group, and the work will take a few months.
Premium content
Tuesday 21 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Tonga Development Bank (TDB) has deferred loan repayments, and waived interest charges and fees for its customers from Ha'apai for three months, in response to the destruction caused by Cyclone Ian.
Premium content
Tuesday 21 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
270 emergency response kits stored in Tonga by the Rotary club were sent to Ha’apai last weekend to aid residents in their recovery from Cyclone Ian.
Premium content
Tuesday 21 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Government of Japan will provide emergency relief goods including water tanks to assist relief efforts in Ha’apai following Tropical Cyclone Ian's destruction.
Premium content
Friday 17 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The ANZ Tonga bank today donated $15,000 pa’anga to the Tonga Red Cross to assist with the relief efforts in Ha’apai following the devastation left by Tropical Cyclone Ian On January 11.
Premium content
Thursday 16 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Three men have been charged with housebreaking and theft of around $19,010 worth of goods from Matafonua Lodge in Foa, Ha‘apai, a day after Tropical Cyclone Ian battered the island on January 11.
Premium content
Thursday 16 January 2014
1 comment
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
In a swift response after Cyclone Ian cut off communications in Ha‘apai on Saturday, Digicel-Tonga Ltd. has put in place temporary solutions to get its mobile phone network restored in Ha'apai. Assisted by Chathams Pacific, Digicel-Tonga chartered six flights to Ha‘apai over the last three-days to get their crew and relief workers over as rapidly as possible.
Premium content
Thursday 16 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Food and water supplies worth more than $40,000 pa’anga was handed over to the Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano from the Chinese Ambassador to Tonga HE Mr Huang Huaguang to help the relief efforts in Ha'apai on January 15. The donation is from the Chinese Embassy in Nuku’alofa and the Tonga-Chinese Association.
Premium content
Wednesday 15 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A partnership of international humanitarian agencies known as the Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT) has stated that it is ready to support Tonga’s recovery from Cyclone Ian.
Premium content
Monday 13 January 2014
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The first flight landed at Lifuka’s Salote Pilolevu Airport shortly after dawn this morning (13 January 2014). Digicel-Tonga’s charter flight was carrying technicians on an urgent mission to restore communications and power. We found the Ha‘apai people emerging from the shelter of their churches and schools to clean-up after the most powerful cyclone ever known to cross Tongan waters. Photos by Pesi Fonua.
Monday 13 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
While communications are down in Tonga’s Ha'apai Islands, concerns are held by families for the well being of the communities that live on low lying outer islands, as aerial pictures continue to come in showing extensive damage to homes and villages. The organisers of the recovery effort, hampered by communications problems, are finding it hard to assess the needs priorities. Flights to Ha‘apai are expected to resume on Monday.
Premium content
Sunday 12 January 2014
Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
An RNZAF Orion has completed an aerial survey of the Ha‘apai Islands this afternoon to assist the Tonga Government assess the damage after Category 5 Cyclone Ian ripped into the low-lying central group of Tonga yesterday afternoon. Photos courtesy RNZAF.
Saturday 11 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A state of emergency for Vava‘u and Ha‘apai was declared at 8:00am today as Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian strengthened to Category 5, battering the groups with damaging gales and heavy rains overnight and today, with powerful intermittent gusts that were forecast to increase to 110 knots (203km per hour) with momentary gusts to 155 knots (287km). However the 9:30am advisory from Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone warning Centre has downgraded Ian to Category 4 with gusts up to 135 knots.
Premium content
Friday 10 January 2014
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian heading towards Vava‘u and Ha‘apai, has islanders hunkering down and expecting a battering from the Category 4 storm that is forecast to bring destructive winds over central Tonga overnight, with gusts of 80 to 115 knots at times.
Premium content
Monday 23 September 2013
1 comment
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A tourism operator in Ha'apai has been charged with assault and selling liquor without a license, according to Tonga Police in Nuku'alofa.
Premium content
Monday 2 September 2013
Premium content
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Westpac Bank of Tonga closed down its branches in Ha‘apai and ‘Eua as it teams up with the Tonga Development Bank to deliver its banking services to customers in both the outer islands, effective today September 2.
Premium contentPages
Tonga weather forecast from yr.no, delivered by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the NRK. See also Fua'amotu Weather Forecasting Center, Tonga, for latest local weather bulletin.