[Anglican Taonga (Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia)] The Anglican Diocese of Polynesia and Anglican Missions have launched an emergency appeal for Tonga after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted in the sea 65 km from Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa, generating a 19.2 km-high, 5 km-wide ash plume and triggering tsunami waves across the island nation.

Initial reports on social media showed meter-high surges inundating coastal areas of Nuku’alofa and aerial and satellite images have shown the capital is blanketed in ash.

Pending assessments, damage in the northern isolated islands will also likely include contaminated water and food supplies as a result of ashfall as well as major damage to buildings and crops caused by inundation.

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