[Source: NZ Defense Force/Facebook]

New Zealand has sent imagery and details to relevant authorities in Tonga following a successful surveillance and reconnaissance flight yesterday.

NZ Foreign Affairs Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, says the information will aid in decisions about what support is most needed in Tonga.

Mahuta adds that communication issues caused by Saturday’s undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami have made this disaster response particularly challenging.

Mahuta says images show ashfall on the Nuku’alofa airport runway that must be cleared before a C-130 Hercules flight with humanitarian assistance can land.

[Source: NZ Defense Force/Facebook]

However, she says the delays mean they’ve decided for both HMNZS Wellington and HMNZS Aotearoa to sail so they can respond quickly if called upon by the Tongan government.

Water is among the highest priorities for Tonga at this stage, and HMNZS Aotearoa can carry 250,000 litres, and produce 70,000 litres per day through a desalination plant.

She adds that the survey and diving teams are able to show changes to the seabed in the shipping channels and ports.

They will also assess wharf infrastructure to assure the future delivery of aid and support from the sea.

The New Zealand government has also allocated a further $500,000 in humanitarian assistance, taking their initial funding total to $1 million.