MASILAMEA, Tonga -- Palefoou Ma'afu's experience highlights the long road to recovery faced by many in Tonga in the more than two years since the Pacific island nation was devastated by tsunamis unleashed by one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions ever recorded.
The 55-year-old's island of Atata, home to around 100 people, was completely wiped out in January 2022. Inhabitants survived the rush of seawater by climbing trees, tying themselves to the trunks or running to the top of the only hill, Ma'afu told Nikkei Asia. She carried her two grandchildren to high ground. "We left everything and just ran," she said. "We were all thinking, 'Is this our last day in this world?'"
