JAPAN: Japanese survivors say earthquake relief gradually improving as roads open to improve aid supply and distribution

Record ID: 465454

  • Title: JAPAN: Japanese survivors say earthquake relief gradually improving as roads open to improve aid supply and distribution
  • Date: 25th March 2011
  • Summary: SURVIVORS AT RELIEF CENTRE SURVIVORS GATHERED AND CHATTING AROUND KETTLE SURVIVOR READING NEWSPAPER SURVIVOR WITH BANDAGE ON EYE
  • Embargoed: 9th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA5ZYEFJOBBPVPZSIJFILOO97K
  • Story Text: Food aid is flowing and refugees are restoring daily routines the best they can in northeastern Japan as the nation rallies around victims of the March 11 double disaster and transportation routes slowly improve.
    Nearly two weeks after an earthquake and tsunami plunged the Asian nation into its worst crisis since World War II, an increasingly thorough and successful humanitarian relief operation is replacing the scenes of suffering and devastation.
    In Kesennuma, one of the towns on the coast worst hit by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that followed, a city hall compound is the hub of the official relief effort.
    Here, city officials and relief staff work long hours to help local survivors during the recovery period.
    A local volunteer group has also set up a food distribution point to provide daily hot meals to the dozens of elderly evacuees who are staying in a part of the city hall compound designated as a relief centre.
    Rice balls and hot miso soup are luxury items for these quake survivors who have been mostly eating biscuits or crackers for their daily meals since the calamity. Many of the 256,714 evacuees are not so lucky.
    Some survivors said they felt things had improved because of more efficient distribution across the region.
    "Some highways have opened up so I think supplies will be distributed further. We are trying to survive although life is not perfect," said 69-year-old Katsuhisa Honda.
    A makeshift medical point set up by the Japanese Red Cross is also now serving the needs of those falling sick in the relief centres.
    Doctors say medicines are now in better supply, especially specialised drugs used to treat chronic illnesses.
    Volunteer aid groups are slowly trickling into the region as they overcome red tape and transportation issues to help out the relief effort.
    "I think the government is doing a pretty good job of getting the roads open. You know in the first few days we were here, a lot of the roads were blocked. Now it's open. They are getting water to the people. Overall, I think they are doing a good job of getting it started. But there's still a lot to do. There are still people who are not connected with the grade school (a relief centre) or the city hall who are needing supplies, and not getting enough food," said Chad Huddlestone, a volunteer from "Be One" network, a Christian group.
    Around the region mobile phone operators have set up new transmission stations and power company crews can be seen on rural roads fixing downed and damaged lines.
    The Japan postal system has dispatched small orange trucks to help people withdraw money from their bank accounts. Many people in the outer areas such as Iwate and Miyagi prefectures have their savings in postal bank accounts.
    Survivors huddled in overcrowded stadiums, schools and temples across the region are slowly waking up to a better organised and more efficient aid effort.
    And most are just grateful for the small improvements in the lives.
    "At the beginning, we had no change of clothes. Most people have not taken a bath yet. But now, we have some fresh clothing so that helps," said 34-year-old Shinichiro Sakunami, carrying his baby boy.
    Warmer weather is also set to improve the lives of these evacuees suffering nights of biting cold in these coastal regions.
    The country's official forecast has said Japan will likely see mostly normal to warmer than normal weather from April to June.
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