Tuesday, March 22, 2011

NICCO‘s survey team found that the town of Rikuzentakata lost roughly half of its employees in the disaster, making it difficult for the town to respond to the emergency. Accordingly, NICCO personnel joined with doctors and experts in electrical and water supply and headed to that area from the 20th. On the 22nd, NICCO was also providing medical care to evacuees at shelters and was working through Japan Platform to organize the distribution of needed relief items that have been donated by companies.

Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) continues to provide emergency humanitarian assistance in Kesennuma (Miyagi Prefecture), and to Rikuzentakata and Ofunato (Iwate Prefecture). The company Zensho, which is a partner with PWJ’s fair-trade team, began providing gyudon (a bowl of Japanese rice topped with beef) on the 21st at the evacuation center at Kesennuma Middle School, providing at least 2,300 bowls on the first day.

The Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA) continues to provide meals and relief goods to evacuees in Kamaishi and Otsuchi. It has started to hire people on site at evacuation shelters both to assist in relief efforts and as a way to create jobs. On the 21st and 22nd, an AMDA team working at a nursing home in Minamisanriku saw 113 patients, most of whom were aged 60 or older. AMDA’s 11th team was scheduled to arrive shortly, adding to the 56 personnel it has already sent to the region.