In response to the massive flooding that occurred in Cambodia between the summer and fall of 2011, AAR JAPAN dispatched Noriyasu OKAYAMA and Tomoko SONODA who distributed food and non-food emergency relief items in the flood-affected areas from November 2011 to January 2012. During the 2 months, AAR JAPAN was able to reach out to a total of 3,000 families in the most affected villages in the suburban area of the nation’s capital Phnom Penh, as well as parts of Siem Reap Province and Kampong Thom Province.

AAR JAPAN has been carrying out relief efforts for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake since the immediate aftermath of the disaster. In addition to delivering emergency supplies to those who have limited access to aid, such as persons with disabilities (PWDs) and the elderly, AAR JAPAN is also repairing welfare facilities and providing vehicles for facilities for persons with disabilities.

AAR JAPAN has been engaged in ongoing recovery operations in the disaster-affected areas of Haiti where a massive earthquake struck on January 12th, 2010, exactly two years ago. During the second half of 2011, AAR JAPAN constructed temporary buildings for a facility serving persons with visual impairment “Societe Haitienne d’Aide aux Aveugles (SHAA)” and 3 foster homes, as well as delivered equipment and supplies necessary to resume their operations.

Helping Persons with Visual Impairments Become Self-sufficient

Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR JAPAN) has been providing mine risk education in Kadugli District, South Kordofan in Sudan since 2007. This past June, however, a violent gunfight broke out between the Sudanese government army and rebel groups. During that crisis, AAR JAPAN’s office was looted, and we were forced to suspend our activities. Fortunately, however, all AAR JAPAN’s staff members were in the end safe and unharmed. Even after the independence of South Sudan on July 9th, armed conflict did not cease, making it difficult for us to continue our activities.

REACHING OUT TO THE VICTIMS WHOSE FARMLANDS HAVE BEEN STRUCK HARD

AAR JAPAN has been continuing its emergency relief activities in response to the flooding in Cambodia. Specifically targeting those who had not received assistance yet from anywhere else, we distributed food items and daily necessities to 401 families and 400 families on December 15th and 22nd respectively in the province of Siem Reap, where the damages caused by the floods have been serious. After our 9th distribution activity, we have now delivered relief supplies to a total of 1,851 families.

Persons with Disabilities Forced to Live Under Difficult Circumstances Due to the Civil War and Floods

From the end of 2010 to the beginning of 2011, approximately 1,000,000 people have been affected by the massive flooding in eastern Sri Lanka. AAR JAPAN dispatched an emergency support team from its Tokyo Headquarters office and distributed food and essential non-food items to a total of approximately 1,600 families.

AAR JAPAN has been carrying out relief operations in areas of Kenya affected by the ongoing drought. On November 2nd, we distributed relief supplies to 500 households in the Yahasley settlement in Garissa, northeastern Kenya. Each relief package contained food such as rice, spaghetti and beans, as well as daily necessities such as a bucket, soap and a plastic sheet. Since neither the Kenyan government nor any other aid organization has as yet been able to reach this village to provide relief, our support was truly appreciated.

AAR JAPAN initiated the project to deliver vehicles to institutions that cater to persons with disabilities and elderly people in disaster-stricken areas in the effort to support welfare facilities that have lost their modes of transportation in the disaster. We visited Sasaeai Yamamoto, a facility for elderly people in Yamamoto Town, Miyagi Prefecture, on October 14th, and Suzuran-to-Katatsumuri (“Lilies and Snails”), a facility for persons with disabilities in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture, on October 16th.

In the Disaster Zone, Support Still Needed