- Title: California shipping company prepares to send water, critical supplies to Tonga
- Date: 19th January 2022
- Summary: OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 18, 2022) (Reuters) VARIOUS OF TRUCK ARRIVING WITH WATER TO DONATE VARIOUS OF WATER BOTTLES ON BACK OF TRUCK SESILIA LANGI PAHULU, OPERATIONS MANAGER AT S.F. ENTERPRISES & LOGISTICS, IN WAREHOUSE BARRELS OFTEN USED AS SHIPPING CONTAINERS THAT CAN ALSO BE USED FOR RAINWATER STORAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SESILIA LANGI PAHULU, O
- Embargoed: 2nd February 2022 00:08
- Keywords: California California shipping company Tonga Tonga aid Tonga supplies Tonga volcano oakland
- Location: OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Earthquakes/Volcanoes/Tsunami,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001FURJTQF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A family-owned shipping company in California is preparing to send water and other critical supplies to Tonga, in the wake of the Pacific island nation's volcanic eruption and tsunami.
S.F. Enterprises & Logistics, which for more than 37 years has been shipping to Tonga, has been collecting donations at its Oakland warehouse, ahead of a regularly scheduled vessel departure on Friday (January 21). The deadline for donations for this trip is Wednesday (January 19).
Operations manager Sesilia Langi Pahulu (SEH-SILL-EE-UH LANG-EE PUH-HU-LU) said they have yet to hear from family, friends, and even their staff members from the most recent shipping trip.
"It definitely hits close to home. We're all trying to do it day by day and try not to be so sad about the whole situation because without having contact, we really don't know what the direct need is," Langi Pahulu said.
The volcano and tsunami, which struck on Saturday, destroyed all the homes on one of Tonga's small outer islands, and three people have so far been confirmed dead, the government said on Tuesday (January 18).
The Lion's Club of Foster City delivered a crate of bottled water on Tuesday and plans to organize more fundraisers in the coming weeks.
Langi Pahulu said water is a top priority, saying that many Tongans collect rainwater for drinking water but fear that the volcanic ash and debris from the tsunami likely tainted many supplies.
The ship from Oakland will take four to five weeks, Langi Pahulu said, adding that another vessel will be leaving in early February. It will also be carrying any additional donated relief supplies.
Ships carrying supplies and relief equipment, including water, have left from ports in Australia and New Zealand but will take at least five more days to reach Tonga's shores.
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