By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Frustration is mounting among Tongans in New Zealand desperate to send critical supplies back home.
There is currently one drop off center at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium, but it is closed today so officials can ramp up Covid measures and volunteers can pack the supplies already there ready for shipment on Wednesday.
Aotearoa Tonga Relief Committee Secretary Pakilau Manase Lua said the team is working on get shipping containers elsewhere in the country.
He said people are feeling anxious, “and fair enough because our committee is called the Aotearoa Tonga Relief Committee, and rightly so they are saying what about the rest of Aotearoa not just Auckland, so we are trying to arrange containers to get out to the region.”
Lua said the team will work into the night, packing more than a dozen containers.
“So altogether about 1000 drums. Given the demand and people who are still looking for drums we could do with another eight to ten containers all up or even more.”
Lua expects the Mt Smart gates to be open for drop offs again tomorrow with strict Covid-19 measures in place.
