Japan: A Sincere “ARIGATO” for Your Support of AAR JAPAN’s Great East Japan Earthquake Relief Activities

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami struck the northern regions of Japan on March 11^th 2011, AAR JAPAN has been receiving material donations, financial funding and logistical assistance on an unprecedented scale, both domestically and internationally.

Our endeavors to aid the disaster victims are still in progress, but at this time we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to those individuals and organizations that have generously extended their helping hands. Without them, relief activities carried out in the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami would never have been possible. AAR JAPAN is committed to continuing to direct all the support received from our donors to the disaster victims in the most effective and efficient ways possible.

Our international supporters, in alphabetical order, as of November 21st:

Turkey: Distribution of Beef at the Muslim Festival

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A hotel where 2 staff members of Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR JAPAN) were staying collapsed around 9:23pm on November 9^th, 2011 (local time) after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey. Atsushi MIYAZAKI died beneath the rubbles, while Miyuki KONNAI survived with an injury that was not life-threatening. We would like to convey to his family our deepest condolences and prayers that he rest in peace.

The following report was e-mailed by KONNAI around 8 pm on November 9^th, 2011 (local time).
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November 6^th, 2011- Miyuki KONNNAI (left) and Atsushi MIYAZAKI (right) of AAR JAPAN’s emergency relief team visited the hard-hit villages with bags of beef in their hands.

Cambodia: We Have Distributed Relief Supplies to Those Affected by the Floods

In response to the widespread flooding in Southeast Asia, AAR JAPAN dispatched 2 staff members, Noriyasu OKAYAMA and Sanae HAYASHI, to Cambodia on November 5^th in the effort to provide emergency assistance to those affected by the disaster. On November 15^th, we distributed food items and non-food relief supplies to 300 households around Khsach Kandal District of Kandal Province, a suburban area of the nation’s capital Phnom Penh.

Japan: Delivering Vehicles to Welfare Facilities in Disaster-Affected Areas

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 14^th, and Suzuran-to-Katatsumuri (“Lilies and Snails”), a facility for persons with disabilities in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture, on October 16^th. This report is by Natsuho SHOJI, who attended the presentation ceremonies at these two sites.

* This project was made possible by the generous donation from JTI Foundation.

Japan: Eight Months after the Great East Japan Earthquake: Activity Report

In the Disaster Zone, Support Still Needed

  

October 21^st, 2011 – AAR JAPAN delivers a portable power generator for Mana NAGAURA, who suffers from congenital myopathy, which requires her to breathe with an artificial respirator. At center is Natsuho SHOJI of AAR JAPAN. (Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture)

Turkey: Passing of Mr. Atsushi MIYAZAKI (update)

AAR JAPAN will hold a memorial service for Mr. Atsushi Miyazaki in the afternoon of December 6th, 2011 at Nippon-Seinenkan (Shinjuku, Tokyo). Details will be posted shortly. (November 15, 2011)

A hotel where 2 staff members of Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR JAPAN) were staying collapsed around 9:23pm on November 9^th, 2011 (local time) after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey. Atsushi MIYAZAKI died beneath the rubbles, while Miyuki KONNAI survived with an injury that was not life-threatening.

Mr. MIYAZAKI’s body departed from Istanbul in the evening of November 12^th (local time) and arrived in Japan in the afternoon of November 13^th (Japan time). After being reunited with his family, his body will be returned to his home on the same day.

KONNAI is currently in a hospital in Ankara and will confirm her return date to Japan based on the result of the doctor’s examination.

We at the AAR JAPAN Tokyo Headquarters Office have been receiving numerous heartfelt messages of condolence, appreciation for our aid work, and encouragement from Turkey as well as other countries around the world. We have already received more than 450 messages and would like to express our sincerest appreciation for your support.

* KONNAI is unable to accept hospital visits and interviews as she is currently recovering from the damage. We thank you in advance for your understanding.

About AAR JAPAN’s Relief Activities in Turkey

AAR JAPAN’s emergency support team that included MIYAZAKI and KONNAI arrived in Turkey on October 26^th and began distributing relief items to the disaster survivors after assessing the extent of the damage and the needs of those affected by the earthquake. They distributed food and other daily supplies to approximately 40 families on November 1^st and 2^nd and to approximately 70 families on the 5^th in severely-affected villages in Van Province. In addition, they distributed beef to approximately 50 families on November 6^th during Eid al-Adha (“Kurban Bayramı”), the Muslim feast of sacrifice.

Atsushi MIYAZAKI

MIYAZAKI joined the Overseas/ Domestic Divisions of AAR JAPAN in September, 2011. His interest in international politics stems from his time in university, which led him to pursue a degree in Conflict Resolution Studies in the UK. Before joining AAR JAPAN, he had worked for an NGO that provides humanitarian aid in the Philippines. (41 years old from Oita Prefecture)

Miyuki KONNAI

KONNAI joined the AAR JAPAN Tokyo office in October, 2011. She developed an interest toward Turkey, a country bridging the east and west, as a university student and further continued her studies at the graduate level. She has investigated various topics including the nation’s application to accede to the EU and immigration, conducted field researches in Turkey and northern Cyprus. She joined AAR JAPAN after spending 5.5 years at a newspaper company as a reporter. (32 years old from Fukushima Prefecture)

TÜRKİYE: Sayın Atsushi Miyazaki

AAR JAPAN will hold a memorial service for Mr. Atsushi Miyazaki in the afternoon of December 6th, 2011 at Nippon-Seinenkan (Shinjuku, Tokyo). Details will be posted shortly. (November 15, 2011)

 Üyemiz Atsushi Miyazaki’nin yaşamını yitirmesi nedeniyle dünyanın dört yanından bize derin başsağlığı dilekleri iletildi. Ancak gönderilen başsağlığı mesajlarına ayrı ayrı cevap yazma imkânımız olmadı. Cevap yazamadığımız dostlarımızın bizi anlayışla karşılayacağını umuyoruz. Tüm elemanlarımız adına başsağlığı dilekleriniz için yürekten teşekkür ediyoruz.

AAR Japan Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Yukie Osa’nin mesajı:

ACI KAYBIMIZ

Van'da Japonya saatiyle 10 Kasım günü 04.23’te 7.2 büyüklüğündeki depremin artçısı olduğu sanılan Rihter ölçeğine göre 5.7 büyüklüğünde deprem meydana geldi ve bölgede bulunan iki üyemiz konakladıkları otelin yıkılması sonucu enkaz altında kaldı.

Üyelerimizden Miyuki Konnai aynı gün sabah saatlerinde enkazdan sağ olarak kurtarıldı.Enkazdan çıkarılan Atsushi Miyazaki ise Van Bölge Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi'nde yapılan müdahalelere rağmen kurtarılamadı.

Saat 17.00 sıralarında ağır yaralı halde çıkarılan Miyazaki’nin durumu ciddiyetini korurken bir yandan da Ankara’ya acil sevk için hazırlık başlamıştı. Fakat bize ulaşan ve daha sonra bölge halkı tarafından doğrulanan ölüm haberi umudumuzun tamamen tükenmesine neden oldu.

Miyazaki geçen haziran ayında kuruluşumuza başvuru yapmış, ağustos ayında stajını tamamlamış ve 1 Eylül günü de asli elemanımız olarak görevine başlamıştı. Başvuru dilekçesinde uluslararası yardımlaşma, özellikle acil desteğe olan sıcak bakışını şöyle dile getirmişti:

Bu yıl ülkemizde büyük deprem felaketinin yaşanması üzerine gelişmiş ülkelerin yanı sıra gelişmekte olan ülkelerin de bize destek vermesi, dünyanın bir dayanışma üzerine kurulu olduğunu bana bir kez daha hatırlattı. Japonya’daki son deprem bölgesi de dahil olmak üzere bütün dünyada acil yardıma muhtaç insanlar için hâlihazırda neler yapabileceğimi düşündüğümde, şu ana kadar kamu ve sivil toplum kuruluşlarında görev alarak gerek teşkilatı yürütme ve yönetme alanında gerekse halkı bilgilendirme ve aydınlatma alanında edindiğim tecrübelerden faydalanabileceğim kanaatine vardım.

Yüksek lisansımı alternatif uyuşmazlık çözümü üzerine yaptım ve uzun zamandan beri barış tesis etmeyi meslek haline getirmek istiyordum. Japonya’daki son deprem felaketinden sonra barış tesis etmenin yanı sıra dünyanın her yerinde zor durumda olan insanları destekleme çalışmalarında bulunma arzum daha da güçlendi ve bu yönde faaliyet gösteren kuruluşunuza biraz da olsa katkıda bulunmak istedim.

8 Haziran 2011

Atsushi Miyazaki

Bölgede Miyazaki’yle beraber çalışan Yumeka Oota’nın dediğine göre kendisi Tokyo ofisinde olduğu gibi her zaman etrafındaki insanlara hem nazik davranarak hem de tebessümünü esirgemeyerek azimli ve aktif bir şekilde görevini sürdürüyordu. Bundan sonra da çeşitli yerlerde görevini başarıyla ifa etmesi bekleniyordu. Biz de Miyazaki’yi kaybettiğimize hâlâ inanamıyoruz.

Miyazaki’nin vefatından dolayı ailesinin üzüntüsünü paylaşıyor ve Miyazaki’ye Tanrı’dan rahmet, ailesi ve yakınlarına başsağlığı diliyoruz.

10 Kasım 2011

AAR Japan

Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı

Yukie Osa

(Translated by Hiroshi Okawa)