I. Overview
- 166,000 evacuees still in shelter
- 180,000 households currently out of water in 8 Prefectures
- Severe weather forecast for affected area -291 schools unable to start new year from April, 2,462 children transferred to schools in Kanto area
- Japanese NGOs on the ground increasing, gap-filling by city/town and sector urgent
With the massive earthquake and the following tsunamis happened on 11 March 2011 (14:46 JST), the death toll is still raising and reached 12,259 today. The casualties and missing are expected to exceed 27,000, the worst number of loss Japan has experienced since 1896 Meiji Sanriku Earthquake. With the earthquake and the following tsunamis, there are 180,000 households currently out of water in 8 Prefectures. Meteorological agency warns freezing temperature (below 0 Celsius) in affected Tohoku area in coming days.
There are about 166,237 evacuees in 2,000 shelters. In Miyagi Prefecture, more than 900 people with disabilities are currently staying at shelters. People near Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants continue evacuating to surrounding Prefectures and it is expected that the number will continue to increase. Prolonged stay in shelters are affecting health problem of already vulnerable evacuees. Cases of communicable diseases in emergency shelters are reported by medical NGOs.
New school term stars in April in Japan but affected 291 primary and secondary school are unable to welcome to students. 2,462 students had transferred to school in Kanto area. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 60 children became orphaned in Iwate and Miyagi. Need for long term psychological care for children are crucial for full recovery.
This report will further include the following information: 1) Situation by Affected Prefectures, 2) Relief Operation by Japanese Humanitarian NGOs, 3)<Map>Active Japanese Humanitarian Organizations, 4) <Chart> Relief Operation by Japanese Humanitarian Organizations in Major Affected Cities, and 5) Relief Supply Needs.
As part of our response to the Tohoku earthquake, SEEDS Asia is supporting the affected communities by compiling humanitarian information on the ground in the affected area to be disseminated to the greater humanitarian community. After 3 weeks since the disaster, needs of the affected community have been shifting. Three experts from SEEDS Asia left for the affected Tohoku area today to understand situation in less supported areas, collaboration of municipalities and NGOs, rehabilitation of livelihood and Disaster Risk Reduction practice in order to reformulate our support plan to best suit the needs of the affected.