The Situation
Today, Japan marks two months since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the northeast area, leaving approximately 26,000 people killed or missing, and over 5,000 people injured. The emergency needs are being met in the affected areas. The number of evacuees is reduced from almost 500,000 in the early stage to over 126,000 people, who are displaced by the disasters and remained in evacuation centers within the three worst affected prefectures, namely Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, many of which are staying in school compounds. As many of the schools have resumed classes, the continued sue of the schools as evacuation centers presents a challenge in sharing space.
Nine hospitals and 68 clinics were reported destroyed while 53 hospitals and 327 clinics were damaged, so there is a critical shortage of medical facilities in the affected areas. In addition ot the increased demand for psycho-social support, a high incidence of respiratory problems was noted after the tsunami, which was attributed to the cold, wet and exposed condition of many survivors. This has since led to a spike in the number of pneumonia cases.
The Japanese Government has committed to the immediate construction of 72,000 temporary shelters for the displaced people, and the number is expected to rise to 100,000. Nearly 24,000 shelters have been contracted out.
As of May 9, the Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) have received over HK$142 million from individuals and corporations in Hong Kong, of which HK$30 million has already been allocated to the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) on April 6, in support of its relief and early recovery activities, including the provision of basic electronic appliance to the displaced people who are moving into the transitional shelters.
Red CrossActions
Cash Grant Program
The Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) has received over HK$17 billion donation from inside Japan since the disaster situation unfolds. These funds will be committed to assisting the affected people by distributing cash grants through the Grant Disbursement Committee consisted of representatives from the government, JRCS and other organizations in Japan. The distribution of funds to families who have lost their family members and/or shelters in the disasters, or have been evacuated due to the Fukushima Daiichi power plant accident, has started since April 2011. Until end of April, nearly 40% of the donation received has been transferred from JRCS to the Grant Disbursement Committees in 12 affected prefectures.
Relief & Recovery Program
Apart from the donations received from inside Japan, the JRCS has also received overseas donations through Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world, including those from HKRC. A total of HK$3 billion approximately is expected to be received from overseas. These donations are mobilized to support the Red Cross actions in relief, recovery and disaster preparedness activities by JRCS staff and volunteers:
Improve living conditions of the evacuees in evacuation centers and transitional shelters
- As of May 6, over 3,200 sets of electronic appliance including refrigerators, washing machines, rice cooker, TV, electric water pot and micro wave oven have already been given to the families moving into government-built temporary houses in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.
- 12 water tanks and taps for washing hands are set up in evacuation centers. More than 2,000 evacuees were benefiting from these facilities.
- 350 units of partition and 500 air purifiers were placed in creating higher privacy and improving the living condition in the evacuation centers.
Emergency medical and psychological support services
- Immediately after the earthquake, JRCS has been offering emergency medical service through its medical teams. More than 55,000 person times have received medical treatment from these medical teams deployed from nationwide to Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. About 4,000 JRCS doctors, nurses, and other relief personnel have been deployed to assess the situation as well as to provide first aid, health and possible psychological support services to many vulnerable communities.
- JRCS continues to providing medical care to the affected people, with dozens of medical teams operating in Red Cross hospitals, evacuation center clinics, and mobile clinics to remote areas. Lonely and house-bound elderly people in particular are being targeted in often life-saving missions.
- Radiation medical specialists from Hiroshima and Nagasaki Red Cross Hospitals are sent to Fukushima Chapter in providing basic knowledge of radiation to evacuees, volunteers and media.
- A JRCS psychosocial support center is established in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture and Morioka, Iwate Prefecture respectively. JRCS has 2,369 nurses trained in psychosocial support, most of them has been assigned to medical teams, particularly in evacuation centers. They provide health check up, foot bath and also organize activities in helping affected people to work through the emotional and mental stress. Psychological support service has also been offered to Red Cross staff working on relief operation and evacuated people due to nuclear crisis. JRCS also provides training to teachers in how to support their pupils, recognize the symptoms of stress and trauma, and how to engage professional assistance if needed.
Relief distribution
- Nearly 183,000 warm clothes, 132,510 blankets, 30,100 emergency kits (composed of portable radio, flashlight, wrapping cloth, booklet of emergency health care, etc), and 13,500 sleeping kits (composed of camping mat, pillow, eye mask, earplugs, slippers and socks) have been distributed.
Social welfare services
- JRCS volunteers, comprising 1,596 local RC Teams, have provided 46,189 man days of work in a variety of activities in the absence of public services, including mobile kitchen (hot meal/soup distribution), distribution of relief items, fundraising, directing affected persons to the evacuation centers, assisting home owners and communities clean mud away from their property.
- Four teams, consisting of 32 care staff and volunteers, were deployed to various evacuation centers and to the Special Elderly Nursing home in the Rikuzentakata area, Iwate prefecture, to carry out health care seminars and provided bathing services for the elderly. In addition, they also have offered back-up assistance to the Special Elderly Nursing home.
Emergency Tracing / Restoring Family Link (RFL)
- HKRC offered emergency tracing service to those who have lost contact with their immediate family members after the earthquake and tsunami. Out of the 6 emergency tracing cases received, 5 have resumed contact either through HKRC or by themselves.
- A RFL website designated to this earthquake and tsunami disaster has been set up by the Red Cross for people to connect and locate their loved ones affected by this disaster. More than 5,900 registrations are found on the website.