HTH -- Haiti Earthquake

March 15, 2011. Japanese government mobilizes resources for post-disaster relief, receives international aid

SOURCE: Altegrity Risk International

On March 15th, a myriad of Japanese and foreign workers were desperately searching for survivors four days after the historic 9.0-magnitude earthquake devastated northeast Japan and an ensuing tsunami engulfed many coastal cities in the region. That same day, an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale occurred off the east coast of Honshu, Japan. As of 3:30PM local time, Japan's National Police Agency that 2,722 people were confirmed dead in 12 prefectures across Japan, while 3,742 remained missing; many believe the total loss of life could exceed 15,000. Some 430,000 people are living in emergency shelters and 24,000 more are stranded. The Japan Tourism Agency said about 1,000 of the 4,900 tourists visiting the devastated areas have not yet been contacted. The Japanese government dispatched 100,000 troops to lead the aid effort; it has also sent 120,000 blankets, 120,000 bottles of water, and 110,000 liters of gasoline plus food to the affected areas. The Japan Self Defense Forces, firemen, and police from all over the country were mobilized to search for survivors and dig out bodies. Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered the Self-Defense Forces to shift their focus from relief rather than rescue operations, as thousands of people in temporary evacuation centers are running low on essential supplies. Citizens in the most remote areas of quake-ravaged northeastern Japan have been without food or water since March 11th, according to local media reports.

Elsewhere on March 15th, Prime Minister Naoto Kan strongly criticized the Tokyo-based nuclear power plant operating company for its botched handling of a quake-stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant at which two explosions caused leaking of radioactive substances into the atmosphere, sources said. Prime Minister Kan also urged the company not to withdraw its workers from the faltering power plant; however, following the second explosion, 750 workers were pulled, leaving just 50 to deal with cooling the overheating reactors. U.S. and Russian nuclear experts rushed to Japan and it was reported that Japan asked the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to provide experts in a joint effort to deal with the incidents at the nuclear power plant. Japan's transport ministry imposed a no-fly zone within 30km (19 miles) of the stricken plant in Fukushima as the catastrophe escalates by the hour. When authorities in Tokyo reported that radiation levels spiked in Japan's capital, panicked citizens rushed to obtain supplies and cleared the shelves in supermarkets, home supply dealers, and convenience stores. Enforced power outages are expected to throw the greater Tokyo area into even more chaos. From Iwate to Fukushima, power supplies are still limited. Telecommunications are impossible in Minamisanryuku, Kesennuma, or other seriously-hit coastal areas. Train and subway services in northeast Japan and greater Tokyo were being suspended due to scheduled power outages, which will be conducted in shifts of three hours between 6:20am and 10:00pm local time.

Meanwhile, China is willing to enhance cooperation with Japan on quake relief work and post-disaster reconstruction, according to sources on March 15th. A 15-member Chinese international search and rescue team joined the relief work in Ofunato, Iwate, a densely populated coastal city severely hit by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami. Meanwhile, a chartered plane carrying the first batch of relief goods China committed to Japan's earthquake rescue operations took off from Shanghai on March 14th. The first relief package containing 2,000 blankets, 900 cotton tents and 200 emergency lights valued at 7.2 million yuan (US$1.1 million) was delivered Tokyo Haneda International Airport. China's Ministry of Commerce said China will provide 30 million yuan (US$4.5 million) worth of emergency humanitarian assistance to Japan, while local governments and China's chapter of the Red Cross said they will send separate donations to aid the quake relief actions. Overall, some 70 countries have offered assistance to Japan. Two U.S. urban search and rescue teams, with 144 staff members and 12 dogs, also began assisting those in Japan. A Singaporean 5-member rescue team arrived in Fukushima prefecture on March 13th to begin rescue operations. The Indonesian chapter of the Red Cross has dispatched a seven-member rescue team to assist rescue operations.