In the wake of the worst floods Japan has seen in more than 35 years, International Medical Corps has deployed an assessment team from its Tokyo office to some of the most flood-affected areas. The team will work in support of the Government of Japan and local officials to identify the most pressing needs and learn ways we can best provide relief through our network of local partner organizations.
Torrential rains in western Japan have caused flash flooding and landslides, which at one point forced more than 2 million residents to evacuate their homes. Japanese authorities report that the death toll has climbed to nearly 200, and nearly 50 people are still missing.
The Government of Japan and local officials are working to restore utilities and bring relief to those affected. According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, more than 200,000 households were still without running water on June 13. About 5,800 people in 16 prefectures were staying at municipal evacuation shelters managed by local government agencies as of 5 pm local time on June 13. Many of those in shelters were in Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures, two of the areas most affected by the rains.
International Medical Corps, together with local authorities and organizations, responded to the needs of those displaced by the twin Kumamoto earthquakes in April 2016, reaching approximately 2,500 people with relief and recovery efforts across 20 evacuation centers. International Medical Corps’ emergency response team was on the ground 48 hours after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis at Fukushima, working in support of the Government of Japan and local partner organizations to provide relief and help communities with longer-term recovery.