Tonga – France expresses its solidarity with the Tongan people following the volcanic eruption (Jan. 17, 2022)

France expresses its solidarity with the Tongan people following the eruption of an underwater volcano which caused a tsunami off the Tonga archipelago on 15 January 2022. It assures the Tongan authorities and people of its friendship at this extremely difficult time.

A Pacific power and neighbour of the Kingdom of Tonga, with which it shares a maritime border and a long-standing friendship, France stands ready to respond to the population’s most pressing needs through the FRANZ mechanism for the regional coordination of humanitarian assistance in the event of natural disasters.

The FRANZ mechanism brings together France, Australia and New Zealand to coordinate humanitarian assistance for the South Pacific countries. France has held its two-year presidency since July 2021, and in this framework it is mobilizing its operational resources in the overseas territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia.