Page 6 - aruba-today-20220121

A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 21 January 2022
Cut off by volcano, Tongans relieved as contact restored

By DAVID RISING Associ- rendered the runway at
ated Press Fua'amotu International
BANGKOK (AP) — As the Airport unusable has now
massive undersea Hunga been cleared, and the first
Tonga Hunga Ha'apai vol- flights carrying fresh water
cano erupted on Saturday, and other aid arrived Thurs-
Tongans from around the day. A repair ship is being
world gazed on as their rel- sent from Papua New Guin-
atives livestreamed images ea to work on the undersea
of billowing clouds of ash, cable, but it will take some
gas and steam emerging time to get to Tonga and
from beneath the depths. the company in charge es-
Then darkness. timates it could take longer
The eruption severed Ton- than a month to repair the
ga's single fiber-optic ca- line.
ble, rendering the entire Given that the cable runs
Pacific archipelago offline It wasn't only family and people may need to try and the tsunami that fol- right through the volcanic
and unable to communi- friends who could not get repeatedly to get through lowed. Several small settle- zone, any new volcanic

cate with the rest of the through. Huge ash clouds something experienced by ments in outlying islands activity could completely
world and leaving their made backup communi- Liutai, who is deputy presi- were wiped off the face scupper even that timeline.
loved ones terrified about cation by satellite phone dent of the Tonga Australia of the map, according to For Liutai, who runs a busi-
what might have hap- next to impossible, and Chamber of Commerce. the Red Cross and official ness in Tonga, regular visits
pened. world leaders were not "My first direct information reports, necessitating the had allowed him to stay in
"It was absolutely crazy," even able to get in touch was this morning," he said evacuation of several hun- close touch in the past, but
said Koniseti Liutai, a Ton- with their Tongan counter- Thursday. "My daughter, dred residents. with COVID-19 pandemic
gan who lives in Australia. parts to see what help they after 100 phone calls dur- With the resumption of travel restrictions, he has
"We were talking with fam- needed. ing the day and night, got some communications, come to rely on video calls
ily and relatives, because As the ash cleared, satellite through to my aunties, my more photos have begun like many other Tongans liv-
they were excitedly show- communication improved mum's sisters, and we were to emerge of the destruc- ing abroad.
ing us the volcano's activi- and Tonga's telecoms op- in tears of joy it was three tion, showing the once- With that possibility now
ties, then we heard the ex- erator, Digicel, said it had in the morning, but for us it verdant islands turned a cut off, at least for the near
plosion and the big bang been able to restore in- was like the middle of the charcoal black by a thick future, he's hoping at least
and everything went dark," ternational call services to day; we were so pumped coating of volcanic dust. better telephone connec-
he said. "Then the next in- some areas late Wednes- and so happy." Coastlines are strewn with tions will soon be available
formation we got was the day. So far, three people have debris, while people work so that the 106,000 resi-
tsunami warning and then It cautioned, however, that been confirmed killed after to clean streets and walk- dents of Tonga can better
the tsunami hitting; we due to the high number of the volcanic eruption 64 ki- ways. reach the outside world to
were all absolutely fearing calls and the limited ca- lometers (40 miles) north of The 2-centimeter (0.78 tell their friends and family
the worst." pacity of its satellite link that Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, inch) layer of ash that what's going on.q

Barbados PM sworn in Vaccines to Africa must have good

after 2nd consecutive shelf lives, says expert

elections sweep By CHINEDU ASADU Asso- of expired doses is only rica office announced

ciated Press about 0.5% of the total Thursday.
Associated Press tion have spoken with one ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At number donated to Af- More than 60% of the 572
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) voice, decisively, unani- least 2.8 million doses of rica, Nkengasong said he million vaccine doses
— Barbados Prime Minister mously and clearly," she COVID-19 vaccines do- is unhappy to see any be- African countries have
Mia Mottley was sworn in said in her celebratory nated to African countries come invalid. received have already
for a second term Thursday speech before dawn on have expired, the Africa "Any dose of vaccine that been administered, Nken-
after her party appeared Thursday to a large crowd Centers for Disease Con- expired pains me because gasong said. The "big
to have swept every legis- clad in red shirts. trol said Thursday, citing that is a life that can po- fight" for African countries
lative seat in the first elec- Mottley, who pledged to short shelf lives as the ma- tentially be saved," Nken- will be "logistics and get-
tions the island nation held focus on issues including jor reason. gasong said. ting doses to the popula-
as a republic since casting financial security, nutrition, Donors of vaccines to the Just over 10% of Africa's tion even as more supplies
off the British monarchy. renewable energy projects continent should send population of 1.3 billion arrive," he said.
Mottley's Barbados Labor and housing, said the island them with a realistic shelf people are fully vacci- "We've seen remarkable
Party seemed to have se- faces serious challenges in life of about "three months nated, he said. The con- uptake of vaccines in set-
cured all 30 seats in the the next 10 to 15 years. to six months" before their tinent's 54 countries have tings where we engage
House of Assembly, the She noted that Barbados, expiration, Africa CDC di- confirmed 10.4 million CO- the community … and re-
lower house of the island's an island of more than rector John Nkengasong VID-19 cases and 235,000 ligious leaders," Nkengas-
Parliament, giving the is- 300,000 people that has told an online briefing. deaths. The continent's ong said, urging countries
land's first female leader a reported more than 37,000 More African nations are omicron wave appears to use innovative ways
second term as prime min- confirmed infections of now refusing to accept to be receding, with new to "bring vaccines to the
ister. A majority of 16 seats the new coronavirus, is still donations of vaccines confirmed cases down population and not only
was required for a win. fighting the pandemic that that have only one or two by 20% from the previous require that the popula-
Mottley achieved the same has battered the economy months before their expi- week and deaths drop- tions should go to where
sweep when her party won and tourism sector of the ration, he said. ping by 8%, the World the vaccines are."q
elections in 2018. one of the Caribbean's Although the number Health Organization's Af-
"The people of this na- wealthier nations.q