Japan

RMF Japan Relief partner JEN has been sending us the enclosed photos from their teams on the ground in northeastern Japan and posting their field updates to their blog

Photo below: Volunteers assist at JEN funded soup kitchen (Photo copyright JEN)

From the blog:

JEN’s Ishinomaki Team is divided into four groups:

• Sludge removal team (removing sludge from evacuation centers and individual homes)
• Soup kitchen team (distribution of food at evacuation centers)
• Psychosocial care team (psychological support for those affected by the earthquake)
• Household visiting team (visiting individual homes and distributing goods, as well as assessing the needs and the damage)

Amongst the four, there is an urgent need for sludge removal.

Sludge, brought by the tsunami, is now emitting disturbing odor around communities.
It has been three weeks since the earthquake and the tsunami hit Tohoku. The sludge is drying up and hardening. Gradually this sludge will turn into dust. The dust will be blown up into the air which can have adverse effects to our health. It is estimated that 20,000 people in Ishinomaki City take shelter at home.

The tsunami brought heavy sludge inside houses. Tatami mats and furnitures have absorbed water (one tatami can weigh up to 100kg), thus women and elders cannot even clean up their houses.

Most of the people staying at their homes live on the second floor because the ground floor is covered with sludge. There are evacuees who could return home once the sludge is cleared.

JEN is now procuring equipment and preparing to receive volunteers while coordinating with other organizations.

This Saturday April 9th, we are delivering 30 tatami mats and 2,600 sand bags and tools for sludge removal together with the dump truck from our warehouse in Adachi, Tokyo.

JEN will proceed with the assessment and the preparation for the sludge removal with people in the communities and volunteers so that the evacuees can resume their normal lives as soon as possible.