Ongoing response to Japan tsunami and earthquake
August 2011
Families continue to recover from the devastating March 11 tsunami that hit the northeast coast of Japan, washing away several coastal cities. Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures were the worst hit.
Tens of thousands of people are still living in evacuation centers or temporary shelters. Government capacity to cope with the disaster remains an ongoing problem. Huge gaps remain in providing food, health care, schooling, shelter and other services. Non-governmental organizations, including Presbyterian Disaster Assistance’s (PDA) partners on the ground, are assisting in filling some of these gaps but need further support to continue their work, reports Takeshi Komino, head of emergencies for PDA’s ecumenical partner Church World Service (CWS)-Asia/Pacific.
CWS has supported a group of partners, including those under the Japan Platform, an international emergency aid consortium of 32 Japanese non-governmental organizations, the business community and the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some of the key partners with whom CWS works through the Platform are NICCO, Peace Boat, SEEDS Asia and Oxfam Japan.
Peace Boat has provided more than 68,000 hot meals to survivors — an average of 1,500 meals per day. Through the end of June, 20,200 volunteers have cleared mud from houses, shops and ditches in Ishinomaki and also removed rotting fish from drains and irrigation ditches, which posed a health risk. Peace Boat also provides volunteer teams to clean the port area and is salvaging and cleaning fishing equipment in an effort to help recover lost jobs.
NICCO, who received support from PDA for medical efforts during the initial emergency phase, will support a childcare program that will start in September and run through June 2012.
In addition to supporting the ecumenical work with ACT Alliance and Church World Service, PDA has also supported the response efforts of our historic mission partners Yodogawa Christian Hospital, United Church of Christ in Japan (Kyodan) (UCCJ), Korean Christian Church in Japan (KCCJ), and National Christian Council in Japan (NCCJ).
Download a summary of PDA supported activities in cooperation with Church World Service.