Conclusion of Period for Donations to Tonga Emergency Relief Fund

The gigantic eruption of the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga-Haʻapai on January 15, 2022, caused major damage in Tonga.
The Nippon Foundation began accepting donations to the Tonga Emergency Relief Fund on January 19, and the period for donations ended on July 31.

As of July 31, the Fund received 25,409 donations (application basis, including via the online e-commerce site Mercari) totaling 97,271,800 yen. Nevertheless, coronavirus-related border restrictions have limited entry into Tonga, and it has not been possible to carry out specific activities. At the 2022 UN Ocean Conference recently held in Lisbon, Portugal, The Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa met with Tonga’s Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni and asked him to draw up a list of items needed by the people of Tonga and to contact the Foundation as quickly as possible. Some more time will therefore be required for us to assess the situation. We will finalize the details of the assistance after we have received the list of items needed and are able to visit the damaged areas, and will report on those details when they are decided. Updates will be provided as additional information to the original press release, which can be viewed here.

We would like to thank everyone who has donated for their kindness and support.