Abstract

Objective

To provide an overview of the health needs following the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster and the lessons identified.

Methods

Period covered by this Operations Update: 1 January 2013 – 31 March 2013

Highlights:

Operations Update No. 11 captures the activities of the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJET) over the past three months.

• During this reporting period, the second anniversary of the disaster was commemorated. JRCS has completed a number of reconstruction projects, while many early recovery support programmes for displaced people have come to an end.

Two years have passed since Japan’s Tohoku coast was ravaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami. Thousands of lives lost, hundreds of thousands of survivors left without shelter, and millions of dollars in monetary damage were left behind when the ocean waters retreated.

Much has changed in Japan in the past two years, yet much has painfully stayed the same in the tsunami zone. Mercy Corps assisted in the emergent aftermath of the disaster, and has continued to provide support for local small merchants, helping to revive the badly struggling local economies.

HANOI, Vietnam – With one of the longest continuous coastlines in the world, Vietnam is at risk of a wide-range of coastal hazards. From tropical cyclones to tsunamis, coastal communities require more disaster preparedness than ever as the country is experiencing adverse effects of climate change.

To achieve more resilient coastal communities, there is a need to build capacity at national and local levels on how to reduce disaster risks. ADPC is currently working to customize training curriculum to meet the needs of the most vulnerable to such hazards.

Thirty-nine nation States, territories, and commonwealths* are taking part in an exercise that will test Pacific Rim countries’ reactivity in the event of a tsunami from 1 to 14 May. Organized by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS), created under the aegis of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the simulation aims to validate proposed new tsunami forecasting products of the U.S.A.’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).

Town was hit by 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

The Singapore Red Cross, together with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local Shichigahama officials today opened the Shichigahama Toyama Nursery School, marking a major milestone in the rebuilding efforts following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The ceremony was attended by Guest-of-Honour Mr Sam Tan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Culture, Community and Youth and Mr Yoshio Watanabe, Mayor of Shichigahama Town.

A new report shows how various parties in the region can work together to weave resilience into economic, social and environmental policies.

The Caritas Annual Report shows our work in 2012 through five strategic priorities identified during the year: addressing poverty at home and abroad, responding to emergencies, upholding the dignity and rights of indigenous peoples, promoting environmental justice, and connecting effectively with our Catholic community.

Public donations topped $3 million last year, including a record Lent total of more than $900,000. We are grateful for the government’s New Zealand Aid Programme which contributed almost $1 million towards Caritas development and relief programmes.

PLOS Currents: Disasters has published a set of five papers on the human impact of five different natural disasters: cyclones, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes.