As time has now entered mid-April, people in the afflicted regions have started to put their hands on rebuilding their lives in line with the start of school. As April is the beginning of a new school year in Japan, schools used as evacuation shelters have now resumed their daily classes. AMDA, delivering medical relief since Mar. 12th, is also shifting towards rehabilitative assistance to support rebuilding local medical systems.

On Apr. 10th a number of volunteers gathered at a local temple in Okayama (home to AMDA) to sort out stationery to be sent to the disaster victims in Ohstuchicho and Kamaishi City in Iwate Pref. 1,500 sets of stationery (originally donated by high school students from Hiroshima) will be sent to the afflicted sites on Apr. 11th.

Iwate Prefecture (the town of Ohtsuchicho):

AMDA President, Dr. Shigeru Suganami held a press conference at AMDA Headquarters in Okayama, Japan on 5th April, announcing that AMDA will complete the emergency relief operations in the afflicted areas by the end of April and shift to rehabilitative assistance. The main project in the next stage will be to donate temporary-clinic units to local doctors whose clinic buildings were destroyed or washed away by the catastrophe.

Emergency medical needs have decreased as a number of medical teams are now active in the devastated sites. Hence, along with the ongoing medical relief activities, AMDA has begun shifting its target to the highly-demanded elderly nursing from Apr. 1st.

Iwate Prefecture (Kamaishi City and the town of Ohtsuchicho):

Relief supplies and medical services have been relatively fulfilled at the larger evacuation centers in Kamaishi City, however, the stock management of the aid goods has been an issue.

On the other hand, communication lines have not yet recovered in the town of Ohtsuchicho where some of the evacuation

On Mar. 24th, AMDA sent one coordinator to Minamisanriku-cho in Miyagi followed by additional dispatch of one coordinator to Iwate.

AMDA President, Dr. Shigeru Suganami, who returned from the disaster site on Mar. 21st will be rejoining the

Media reported that despite the hardship the victims have been going through, they have stood up together by joining hands to persevere this test of time.

Iwate Prefecture (Kamaishi City and the

1) AMDA team in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture:

AMDA team has been delivering mobile clinic services and relief goods to the nursing homes and schools (evacuation shelters) in Aoba and Miyagino Wards. The common cold has become prevalent among the evacuees, however, the prevention is not easy in the crowded evacuation shelters while the dust from the collapsed buildings covering the entire area.

2) Kamaishi City and the town of Ohzuchicho, Iwate Prefecture

Likewise, mobile clinic services have been the main activities of the AMDA team in Iwate Prefecure. The cold

Since Mar. 13th, AMDA teams have worked in the local nursing home in Aoba Ward, Sendai City. According to AMDA personnel, lifelines including electricity, water and phone lines have been cut, however, gas supply was still alive hence able to provide meals for the residents. As the food stocks were expected to run out in no time, AMDA donated food supplies on Mar. 14th.

There are about 100 nursing-home residents plus those who evacuated from elsewhere staying in the facility; the facility has 60 staff all together with five of them on rotation, however, more