With the full picture of damage and needs after Tonga’s massive volcanic eruption and tsunami only gradually emerging, what is already clear is that the stakes could not be higher for the farmers and fishers of the South Pacific island nation, living in one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions.

With roughly 86 percent of Tongans engaged in agriculture,  FAO is extremely concerned about the potential impacts across all agriculture sectors, including fisheries, crops and livestock. That is despite communications and access remaining severely affected. Initial estimates are that roughly 12 000 agricultural households or 85 percent of the total number, will have been affected by this disaster, according to Xiangjun Yao, FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands, based in Samoa.