Japan Disaster: One Year Later

One year after a 9.0-earthquake struck Japan, triggering a devastating tsunami and subsequent radiation crisis, International Medical Corps is expanding its network of local partners to deliver critical health, mental health and livelihoods services to affected communities. An International Medical Corps emergency response team was on-the-ground within 48 hours of the disaster, assessing needs and coordinating with the Japanese government. While Japan has significant disaster response capacity, the magnitude of the tragedy compelled us to respond. In the 12 months since, we have:

• Reached 20,000 people at evacuation centers with medications, food and basic supplies.
• Trained 85 counselors and 93 frontline workers in Psychological First Aid (PFA) in partnership with accredited nonprofit Tokyo English Life Line (TELL).
• Hosted a psychosocial conference in partnership with Tohoku University and TELL aimed at enhancing the PFA knowledge and skills of Japanese mental health professionals.
• Partnered with Association for Aid and Relief Japan (AAR) to distribute household items like heaters and cooking supplies for 300 evacuee families struggling to rebuild in new surroundings. 
• Partnered with local organization, Shapla Neer, to create a community space for evacuees living in temporary housing where they can interact with peers, seek counseling, and receive information on assistance programs.
• Partnered with International Volunteer Center of Yamagata (IVY) to provide cash-for-work opportunities in Miyagi Prefecture, where 16,000 people were killed and another 40,000 displaced as a result of the tsunami. The jobs focus on reconstruction activities, such as mud and debris cleaning, which will help many people return to their homes.

International Medical Corps is also expanding its partnership to establish community spaces for evacuees with local Japanese organization, The People. Together, the two organizations are providing evacuees with a space to interact with others affected by the disaster and receive counseling and referrals for appropriate services. We are also working with the Salvation Army Japan, CARITAS Japan, and Kojima Co., Ltd., a Japanese home electronics retailer, to support a winter distribution of heaters, portable stoves, and other essential household items to vulnerable families that have evacuated from Fukushima.

International Medical Corps will continue to develop programs with local partners to address ongoing humanitarian needs and support communities in becoming more resilient.