Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
On March 11th, 2011, Japan experienced the most powerful earthquake in its history. The magnitude 9.0 quake off the Pacific coast of Iwate prefecture triggered a massive tsunami with waves up to 38 metres that travelled 10km inland. Dozens of cities and villages along the Pacific East coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres from the epicentre.
As a result of the quake and ensuing tsunami, three reactors in the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant were severely damaged, with considerable radiation emissions. The earthquake, the subsequent tsunami, and the nuclear crisis have brought the long-term displacement of many thousands of people, the uprooting of whole communities, widespread devastation of farming and fishing and loss of livelihoods.
Japan is an island surrounded by the ocean with long and complex coastlines. Geographically, it is one of the nation’s most vulnerable to earthquake-generated tsunami. On 11 March 2011, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale struck Japan’s North East coastline. Damage from the earthquake was not great, but it generated a devastating tsunami, with waves reaching as high as 38 metres, devastating coastal communities in 15 prefectures along 700km, with the most severe damage in three prefectures: Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. As of 30 January 2012, the number of confirmed dead is more than 15,000, while 3,375 were still missing or unaccounted for. The majority of evacuees are now accommodated in temporary prefabricated houses.
This particular disaster comprised not of only the natural disaster: earthquake and tsunami, but bears a third factor: the nuclear accident. As a result of the main quake and of the ensuing tsunami, three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were severely damaged, with consequent severe radiation leaks. The government created a 30 km radius exclusion zone around the plant, from which all residents were evacuated. These evacuees are provided with the same support as those directly affected by the earthquake and tsunami.
The total displaced population from the affected areas, including the 30km zone around the damaged nuclear reactors in Fukushima Daiichi, is estimated to be nearly 400,000.
Following the earthquake and tsunami, there have been more than 50,000 aftershocks, mainly in the already affected areas adding anxiety to the evacuees.
Irish Red Cross Response
In the aftermath of the quake, the Irish Red Cross launched the Japan Tsunami appeal. Donations from this appeal are supporting Japanese Red Cross emergency relief and recovery activities -outlined under Japanese Red Cross Response- as they help people recovery from the worst devastation imaginable.
Japanese Red Cross Response
The Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) began sending emergency relief items to affected areas immediately after the disaster. Tens of thousands of blankets, clothing, emergency relief kits and sleeping kits were handed out to evacuees.
From the outset, the JRCS focused its operations on providing medical care to those hit by the disaster. Medical teams have been operating in Red Cross hospitals, in evacuation centre clinics, and from mobile units that take medical care to both smaller and more remote centres, as well as to members of the general public who are deprived of care by the disruption of state services or their access to them. Along with the medical teams, psycho-social support was provided by trained staff to aid grieving families focusing especially on the elderly and children. Survivors suffered a tremendous emotional and mental trauma and Red Cross personnel are actively involved in talking with them, to help them work through that trauma.
In Fukushima, the JRCS provided medical services for the evacuees from the 30km zone around the nuclear plant. JRCS also sent radiation medical specialists who set up seminars providing basic knowledge of the radiation threat to health, targeting evacuees, volunteers and media.
A medical team from the Japanese Red Cross Society provides basic health care to tsunami survivors. Photo: Kathy Mueller / IFRC
Since the disaster struck the JRCS has:
• Provided emergency medical care, relief and early recovery support to more than 280,000 people in need.
• Alongside the relief items that were distributed to evacuees, equipment and tools were provided for debris-clearing operations.
• Red Cross volunteers (4,450 groups) were mobilised and have worked 162,538 days assisting in evacuation centres, cooking and distributing books and helping people clean their homes.
• More than 125,000 household appliance sets have been distributed to families living in temporary housing. Each set contains a washing machine, rice cooker, fridge, water thermos, microwave and TV.
• Nearly 900 medical teams were deployed to the affected areas to support the survivors, treating 87,445 patients while hundreds of psychosocial workers have provided counselling support to over 14,000 people.
• A family links website - http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/eng/familylinks-japan - which was established with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) enabled people to search for loved ones who were missing and for people to report that they were safe.
• JRC has also been providing new adjustable beds for elderly care homes, facilities for school clinics and computers for children in Fukushima, who cannot play outdoors.
• To help meet the needs of evacuees from the nuclear power plant accident, the Red Cross has provided whole-body radiation measuring equipment which is being used in hospitals responsible for monitoring the evacuees’ health.
Red Cross Health and Safety Class held at Yamada Kindergarden. Masaki Kamei / JRCS
Future Red Cross Activities
With the relief phase of this response now complete the focus of the Japanese Red Cross is early recovery. One of the challenges facing recovery efforts is identifying suitable areas to build homes.
The tsunami left an estimated 22 million tons of debris and rubble which could take three years to remove. It is anticipated that reconstruction and recovery efforts could continue for up to ten years.
The Red Cross will continue to support families moving into temporary housing units by supplying appliance packages consisting of six items (refrigerator, washing machine, rice cooker, microwave, kettle, television).
Adequate health care infrastructure remains a particular problem in the disaster area as many hospitals and clinics were damaged or destroyed in the tsunami. To address this need the JRC will help to build a number of temporary hospitals that will be in use for up to five years as well as continuing to support medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics and care homes. The JRC will also purchase 500 vehicles to be used for social welfare activities, enabling carers to reach people who are vulnerable and isolated especially for those who have found it difficult to make the transition from evacuation centres to temporary homes.
