Results for Pacific Islands

A Tropical Cyclone Alert remains in force for Tonga today, as Tropical Depression (TD 04F) in the Western Pacific, moving toward Fiji and Tonga, is expected to bring strong gale force winds to the Niuas starting tomorrow morning, with storm force winds over southern Tonga during the weekend. Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre issued a weather warning at 6:00pm Thursday 16 January 2020.

The installation of new weather stations and sea level monitoring equipment throughout Tonga has been a huge logistical exercise, six months in the planning and another year in the implementation. Tonga welcomes 2020 with 21 new weather stations and two sea level monitoring stations.

Health services for over half a million people in four Pacific countries, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, will benefit from a project that is helping to improve overall immunization coverage rates and support greater efficiency of primary health care.

Measles continues to plague Samoa with 32 deaths now confirmed by the nation’s Government today. Samoa’s Ministry of Health reports the death of two teenagers and 243 measles cases recorded in the last 24 hours.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF are calling on Pacific communities to vaccinate against measles in response to recent outbreaks of measles in Tonga and Samoa.

With China’s diverse and expanding interests in the Pacific, and its rising economic and strategic strength, one can expect that Chinese presence will grow stronger in the coming decades. China’s growing regional presence is a new reality that needs to be accommodated, not resisted, but this requires great understanding of Chinese interests and views. Given the substantial difference between Chinese and Western views about China’s unique aid policy, simply requesting that China conform to rules set up by traditional aid donors is unlikely to work. By Col. (Ret’d.) Siamelie Latu.

Five contestants of Pacific Island heritage, including Tongans are taking part in the 2019 Miss South Pacific Plus Australia (MSPPA) Beauty Pageant to be held in Sydney, on September 13.

On the eve of the 50th Pacific Islands Forum Meeting taking place in Tuvalu this week, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland recognises the existential threat which climate change poses to Pacific Islanders. She calls on governments across the globe to urgently meet the terms of the Paris climate change agreement, if we are to save our Pacific Islands, as the rising sea levels could literally engulf thousands of islands in the region by 2100.

The Chinese proverb goes: “Yāo Xiǎng Fù Xiān Xiū Lù” (“If you want to get rich, build a road.”) This can be updated as: “If you seek prosperity, build connectivity.” By Col. (Ret’d.) Siamelie Latu, Secretary General of the Tonga China Friendship Association.