A week after the massive eruption of a submarine volcano off Tonga in the South Pacific, the magnitude of the aftermath is becoming clearer.
An estimated 84 percent of the approximately 105,000 residents on all islands were affected by the ash rain and the tsunami, according to a government statement published on Saturday.
The supply of drinking water and food is now a priority.
Aid supplies are on their way to more distant islands, but communication remains "an acute challenge".
Sea transport remains difficult
So far, almost 60,000 liters of water have been distributed as part of the relief efforts, it said.
The ship "HMNZS Aotearoa" sent by the New Zealand government, which arrived on Friday, brought relief supplies and another 250,000 liters of water.
Although there have been no further volcanic activities according to the government, sea transport initially remained difficult as ash on the sea surface damaged ships.
The first planes from Australia and New Zealand brought urgently needed relief supplies.
However, domestic flights remained suspended for the time being due to ongoing clearance work on runways.
26 people were initially brought to Nomuka from Mango Island after losing their homes, it said. A field hospital was set up on Nomuka because the health center there was washed away. However, the country's main hospital remained open. So far, there have been pledges of relief supplies and more than 20 million US dollars in support from all over the world.
The undersea Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai, just 40 miles north of Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa, ejected a cloud of ash and gas miles high last Saturday like a mushroom cloud.
According to experts, it was one of the world's worst outbreaks in decades.
Tsunami waves even reached regions as far away as Alaska, Japan and South America.
Tonga's government has so far confirmed three dead and several injured.