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May 2nd - “AAR JAPAN was the first organization to deliver us relief supplies,” say evacuees from Yokoura Evacuation Center. Left is AAR JAPAN’s deputy director Taki KATO (Onagawa Town in Oshika County, Miyagi Prefecture). Photo by Yoshifumi KAWABATA. |
Since March 13th, AAR JAPAN has been carrying out relief activities for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In addition to delivering emergency supplies, AAR JAPAN is also providing medical support and soup kitchens, operating regular buses, and engaging in efforts to rebuild local institutions.
Here we report on the progress of activities that have been made possible thanks to the efforts of our supporters. AAR JAPAN will continue to deliver relief to persons with disabilities, the elderly, people taking refuge in their homes, and other hard-to-reach survivors.
Delivery Report from March 14th to May 10th
List of supplies delivered and receiving institutions from March 14th to May 10th (PDF file: 257 KB, Japanese only)
Receiving Institutions: approximately 56,200 people in 420 institutions
Miyagi Prefecture: Sendai City, Ishinomaki City, Kesennuma City, Natori City, Tome City, Higashi-Matsushima City, Onagawa Town, Tagajo City, Iwanuma City, Minami-Sanriku Town, Yamamoto Town, Shiogama City
Iwate Prefecture: Otsuchi Town, Ofunato City, Rikuzen-takata City, Kamaishi City, Yamada Town
Fukushima Prefecture: Soma City, Minami-Soma City
Yamagata Prefecture: Yamagata City
And others.
Relief Supplies Delivered to Affected Areas
Diesel oil (13,600 liters)
Kerosene (4,400 liters)
Gasoline (2,060 liters)
Potable water (13 tonnes)
Rice (2 tonnes)
Oranges (2 tonnes)
Bananas (2 tonnes)
Milk (480 packs)
Sweet-bean cakes (25,900 units)
Vegetables (Potatoes, carrots, onions, spinach, etc. – 25 kg each)
Other food (Retort foods, food for the elderly, canned food, miso, soy sauce, nutritional supplements, etc.)
Blankets (1,000 units)
Underwear, scarves and clothes (25,000 units)
Towels and hand cloths (50,000 units)
“Furoshiki” wrapping cloths (3,000 units)
Face masks (70,280 units)
Hand warmers (5,000 units)
Sleeping bags (3,400 units)
Medicine (60 packages)
Toothbrushes (10,000 units)
Paper diapers (60,232 units)
Women’s sanitary products (17,000 units)
Batteries (80 cartons)
Baby products (Baby food, pacifiers, etc.)
High-pressure washers (32 units)
Chainsaws (30 units)
Shovels (12 units)
Boots (100 pairs)
Books and picture books (20 boxes)
Crayon sets (200 units)
Cell phone chargers (120 units)
Computers (6 units)
Bicycles (70 units)
Washing machines (11 units)
Dryers (21 units)
Refrigerators (9 units)
Care beds (1 unit)
Wheelchairs (3 units)
Power generators (1 unit)
Knives (10 units)
Cutting boards (10 units)
Small shelving units (10 units)
Book shelves (1 unit)
Clothing cases (2 units)
Disinfectant spray (500 units)
Hand soap (168 units)
Plus other miscellaneous items
Medical Assistance
On the Oshika Peninsula, we visited the areas of Makinohama, Takenohama, Kitsunezaki-hama, Sudachi, Fukkiura, Kozumihama and Kobuchihama, where approximately 640 survivors are taking shelter in their homes. Led by Dr. Toshiaki YASUDA, a local medical practitioner, AAR JAPAN’s medical team has established a traveling clinic that works to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, check up on sufferers of chronic illnesses, and offer psychological support, among other health-related activities. We examined 227 people between April 9th and May 9th.
Regular Buses
To guarantee the mobility of those who have lost their regular means of transportation on the Oshika Peninsula, in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, AAR JAPAN has prepared a microbus that circulates twice a day in the Ogihama area and once a day in the Ayukawa area. Between April 10th and April 30th, approximately 108 people made use of bus services in the Ogihama area.
Soup Kitchens
In coordination with Ingram Co., Ltd., which is responsible for the Peace Project, AAR JAPAN organized soup kitchens in Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures from March 31st to May 8th. AAR JAPAN also organized independent soup kitchens in both prefectures between May 1st and May 7th.
Soup Kitchen Locations: approximately 13,150 meals in 20 locations
Miyagi Prefecture: Watanoha, Aikawa, Kitakami and Ayukawa (Oshika Peninsula) in Ishinomaki City; Wakabayashi District in Sendai City; Tagajo Ciy, Shizugawa and Utatsu in Minami-Sanriku Town; Niitsuki, Shishiori and Omose in Kesennuma City
Iwate Prefecture: Kamaishi City, Otsuchi Town, Yamada Town
Soup Kitchen Menu
Tokushima ramen, oden, beef stew, yakisoba (fried noodles), fried chicken, vegetable sticks, chukadon (Chinese-style stir-fried meat and vegetables on rice), beef steak, onion soup, tuna sashimi on rice, chanko-nabe (hot pot), apple pie, onion sauté, minestrone, ground chicken with egg and vegetables on rice, fish soup, hijiki seaweed mix, fried sweet potato sticks, cabbage rolls, mixed bean-curd lees and vegetables, autumn rice, pork soup, boiled fish, cabbage and spinach side dishes, somen noodles, minced fish soup, hand-made sweet potato pies, handmade langue du chats, samgyetang (Korean chicken ginseng soup), yakitori (grilled chicken), miso soup with tofu and shimeji mushrooms, simmered meat and potatoes, boiled komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), pasta with meat sauce, potato salad, miso soup with Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, boiled field mustard, inarizushi (fried tofu stuffed with boiled rice), cooked radish and minced meat, kashiwa mochi (rice cake wrapped in oak leaf), fried whitefish, miso soup with radish, root salad, fruit jelly, udon rice noodles, almond jelly, cooked meat with vegetables, gyoza (Chinese dumplings), borscht, miso soup with clams, marinated octopus, miso soup with cabbage and Japanese mustard spinach, clams with wasabi, seafood curry rice (with scallops, clams and shrimp), Japanese sweets and amazake (sweet mild sake), etc
Institutional Reconstruction
In coordination with local construction companies, AAR JAPAN is repairing cracks in the walls and on the grounds of senior care facilities and facilities for persons with disabilities to enable these people to return to their lives as soon as possible. On April 21st, AAR JAPAN finished fixing cracks in the parking lot of the Asunaro Home, care facility for people with disabilities located in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture.
Container Housing Project
On May 11th, AAR JAPAN installed 6 container housing units in the town of Onagawa in Oshika County, Miyagi Prefecture, to enable evacuees who have been enduring long-term life in evacuation centers to move into more stable housing.
“Let’s Bring Hot Springs to the Disaster Zone!” Project
In coordination with Manyo Club Co., Ltd. (Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture), Ascendia Inc. (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) and other companies, AAR JAPAN is carrying out the “Let’s Bring Hot Springs to the Disaster Zone!” Project.
With the cooperation of Kanagawa Prefecture’s Yugawara Onsen (hot spring), on the first day of the project, April 9th, hot spring water was delivered to four evacuation centers in Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture: Yamoto Dai-ichi Junior High School, Ushiami Community Center, Akai City Center and Asai Civic Center.
Since April 12th, with the cooperation of Miyagi Prefecture’s Onikobe Onsen (hot spring), hot water has been delivered to facilities in two different locations every day except Sunday. Delivery points include the four locations listed above, plus Miyato Elementary School in Higashi-Matsushima City and Ishinomaki Shoshinkai Social Welfare Corporation in Ishinomaki City. These 6 delivery points enable 500-600 evacuees to bathe every day, and AAR JAPAN plans to continue to provide the service until the end of this month.
Tote Bag Project
Responding to requests from evacuation centers and senior care facilities, AAR JAPAN is collecting hand-made tote bags to be delivered to the survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake. With the May 20th deadline drawing near, approximately 1600 bags have been received to date. AAR JAPAN volunteers will attach a strap of our mascot “Sunny-chan” to the bags and deliver them to evacuees, with precedence going to the elderly.
HELP SURVIVORS OVERCOME TRAGEDY
