Tonga is set to strengthen its disaster response capabilities with a new humanitarian warehouse in Vava’u, addressing logistical challenges exposed by the 2021-2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption.
The Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program (PHWP), led by the Pacific Community (SPC), will support the project.
“The proposed Vava’u warehouse will help address some of the challenges that Tonga has faced in disaster risk management and would be a way to improve logistics,” said Esau Tupou, Acting CEO of MEIDECC.
As a major port serving nearby islands, Vava’u is envisioned as a hub for distributing emergency supplies across Tonga’s vast archipelago. The initiative builds on Tonga’s pioneering role in disaster management, including the region’s first Joint National Action Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management.
SPC’s Disaster Risk Team Leader, Litea Biukoto, highlighted Tonga’s innovative efforts: “Tonga continues to inspire other countries with its approaches.”
The plan integrates modern systems with traditional values, involving Village Disaster Management Committees and local humanitarian actors like Red Cross and UNICEF.
In December 2024, the PHWP conducted consultations with stakeholders to finalize the warehouse’s design. The implementation plan will guide construction, ensuring the facility meets Tonga’s disaster preparedness needs.