Trees are torn down and buildings ripped apart following Saturday's tsunami triggered by a volcano.
Scant communication has been established since the eruption, enabled only through a few satellite phones mainly held by foreign embassies in the capital city Nuku'alofa. Many Tongans abroad have since been waiting to hear news from loved ones.
Full connectivity - including the internet - could take four weeks or more to restore after the sole cable to the islands was damaged in two places.On Wednesday morning, the Red Cross said it had "joyfully and happily" been able to make contact with its team in Tonga for the first time since the eruption.
Ms Greenwood added that Red Cross teams were working to distribute clean water, and that a recent campaign telling people to cover their rain water tanks to protect them from ash had worked and provided a boost to bottled water supplies.Images from Tonga's shoreline show damage to structures and trees following the tsunamiBut Tongan officials have also expressed concern that deliveries could result in a spread of Covid, with the country only recording its first case in October.