GiveOut has activated our LGBTQI Emergency Fund in response to the massive underwater volcano and tsunami in Tonga.

All of Tonga has been covered in dangerous volcanic ash, and buildings in coastal areas have been ripped apart, leaving many Tongans without clean drinking water or shelter. The eruption severed the country’s main communication line, making it difficult to establish early contact. The delivery of relief provisions has been further complicated as the authorities are trying to prevent the spread of COVID, with only one case to date. 

GiveOut have now heard back from our friends at the Tonga Leitis Association - Tonga’s only organisation focused on transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming communities, and a member of The Commonwealth Equality Network. They have explained that LGBTQI people have been displaced, everyone is having to stay inside because of the ash, and that there is an ongoing need for clean water and other humanitarian support. 

We are asking you – our community and corporate allies – to support the Tonga Leitis Association's vital work, including to:

- Source and distribute clean water and other essentials to LGBTQI people 

- Reach LGBTQI people in remote areas and provide humanitarian and other support

- Safely clear up the volcanic ash so LGBTQI people can return to their homes 

All donations to this appeal will support this vital work. As a charity registered in the UK, GiveOut can claim Gift Aid on all eligible donations – an extra 25p for every £1 you donate.