Marque helps out Tonga

Toyota Motor Corporation and its distribution groups around the South Pacific have teamed up to support tsunami relief in Tonga.

A total donation of $260,000 to Unicef will provide immediate help to affected communities, and is comprised of grants from Toyota New Zealand, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia, Toyota Tshysho South Pacific Holdings and Toyota Tshysho Papua New Guinea to create “One Toyota Oceania”.

Toyota NZ has contributed $10,000 of support to the rescue and relief programme on the island nation.

Neeraj Lala, chief executive, says: “With communications, infrastructure and crops severely damaged, there is an urgent need for water and emergency food supplies. Our emergency grant will help our neighbouring whānau in Tonga with much-needed relief.”

The photo above, taken on January 17 by NZ Defence Force personnel from a P-3K2 Orion, shows an area of Tonga with heavy ash fall from the volcanic eruption on January 14, which also led to the devastating tsunami.