Rotary Club Nuku’alofa has placed a container with 298 Emergency Response Kits at the Scenic Hotel.
The kits, valued at total of NZ$178,000, were obtained through the Emergency Response Kit initiative and supported by Rotary Clubs New Zealand.
Two containers are currently under the management of Tonga’s National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) where they will remain on standby for distribution in the case of an emergency.
During Cyclone Ian in January 2014, Emergency Response Kits were distributed and used to support residents in Ha’apai in the days immediately following the destructive weather event.
The kits, packed in NZ by Rotary Club members and supporters, allow families to set up a basic shelter to protect them from the elements 
immediately following a disaster.
Each box also holds more than 60 items that could be vital for a family to survive an emergency situation.
The items include: two weatherproof tarpaulins, a hammer and nails, a folding shovel, fishing kit, hunting knife, machete, basic clothing, a cooking grate and Bombay pot, as well as bowls and mugs for serving food. A first-aid medical kit is packed with items such as water purifying tablets, soap, pain killers and antiseptic cream.
The Emergency Response Kit is packed in plastic container, which can be emptied, fitted with an included tap, and used to hold up to 78 litres of treated drinking water.
For additional details, please visit the Rotary Club of Nuku’alofa facebook page or visit www.erk.rotarysouthpacific.org to download a brochure.
