China News Service, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) According to a comprehensive report, nearly a week after the eruption of the Tonga volcano, the latest news from the United Nations said that about 84,000 people in Tonga, or 80% of the total population, were affected by the volcanic eruption and tsunami.
In addition, Tonga Olympic flag-bearer Pita Taoufatofa said that so far he has not been able to contact his father.
Recently, more shocking images of Tonga's volcanic eruption captured from the sea have been released.
The group of photos released by the Latin America News Agency showed that the volcano spewed a large amount of smoke and ash that continued to spread above and outside the island.
The eruption also triggered a tsunami that affected several countries and regions along the Pacific coast.
Peeta Taufatofa is a Tongan taekwondo athlete who was the flag bearer of the Tonga delegation at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics.
He currently lives in Australia and has lost contact with his father since the volcano erupted.
According to news from the US media on the 20th, Taoufa Tofa disclosed the latest situation to the outside world, saying that his home is still there, but he still cannot get in touch with his father.
"I don't know what happened to him," he said. "I'm optimistic he'll be fine and hopefully he's working for the community. But that's just my guess."
Taufatofa said Tonga was now facing concerns over a "thick layer of ash" across the country, as well as problems with water filtration and communications.
On January 17, local time, Tonga, aerial photos provided by the New Zealand Defence Force showed that the coastal area of Tonga was damaged, and volcanic ash covered buildings and vegetation.
"When you're in Tonga, everything is lush, it's green, it's blue, it's full of life," he said. "And when you look at it now, it's like a black-and-white movie from 1910, Everything is covered in ashes."
He urged people to continue sharing information about the disaster so that the South Pacific island nation is struggling to recover from the disaster.
According to the latest information from the United Nations, about 84,000 people in Tonga, or 80% of the total population, have been affected by volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.
The report also said that multiple agricultural sectors, including crops, livestock and fisheries, suffered heavy losses.
Of these, about 60% to 70% of livestock households found their livestock dead, pastures damaged or water sources contaminated.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also said that communication between Tonga and the international community is still limited, but the situation is gradually improving.
The country's Fua Amotu International Airport has been reopened.