Responding to Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Overview

In the deadly earthquake and tsunami that shattered northeastern Japan, an estimated 20,000 perished in the devastation. Entire communities were wiped out, and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced. The two catastrophic events then produced a third: a nuclear disaster at the badly damaged Fukushima facility, leaving an entire area essentially uninhabitable. Within hours of the disaster, Americares mobilized a large-scale emergency response, with shipments of medical and humanitarian aid that helped countless survivors in need.

Our team remained in the disaster zone for four years, helping survivors regain their health and rebuild their lives. Partnering with local organizations, we provided:

Emergency aid including medicines, water, and personal care items, hot meals for displaced survivors, and space heaters for apartments with no heat.
$8.8 million in support for targeted projects that have helped more than 90,000 beneficiaries; the projects focused on mental health, dental health, people with disabilities, overall access to health care and support services

Helping survivors recover with seeds and soil.

The Recovery

Today, Japan continues to rebuild the region. For four years our Japan team worked from Sendai, filling crucial healthcare gaps. In collaboration with local communities and organizations, we supported 187 projects including:

Increasing and restoring access to health services such as dental care
Establishing counseling and targeted community programs to help survivors cope with trauma and loss and rebuild community connections
Providing emergency response and services for evacuees
Supporting people with disabilities

Concluding our recovery work, we have left in place a network of ongoing community-based organizations and programs that will support these important services going forward. The organization “Baby Smile”, for example, began as a small community-directed initiative that grew into a nationally recognized nonprofit organization providing child care support services

When disaster strikes, help us respond.

“In the four years after the triple disaster, Americares invested in 187 targeted projects, collaboratively building a healthier future for these devastated communities.”

Byline… RAMONA BAJEMA, AMERICARES JAPAN COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE

The scale of the damage to the region was almost unimaginable as seen at the Sendai airport. Americares set up an office in Sendai to coordinate the response.