Friday, March 11, 2011

Japan:


  • ASIA NEWS
  • MARCH 12, 2011


Nations, Agencies Launch Aid Effort

By MIKE ESTERL

Governments and relief groups around the globe readied emergency operations to assist Japan and other Pacific island nations rocked by Friday's earthquake and tsunami.

How to Help

InterAction, an alliance of U.S. nongovernmental organizations, lists on its websitewww.interaction.org several aid groups responding to the Japan disaster and accepting donations.
  • American Red Cross says U.S. citizens can text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.
  • Online donations also can be made to the International Rescue Committee atwww.rescue.org or Catholic Relief Services athttp://crs.org, among other organizations mobilizing help.
  • Google has established a website offering links to victims of the disaster in Japan. The site—http://www.google.co.jp/intl/ja/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html—links to railway conditions, utilities, government information and smartphone message board applications. The site also has news feeds and maps showing shelter locations and areas hit by the quake.
Those trying to contact or locate U.S. citizens living or traveling in Japan can telephone the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747 or (202) 647-5225.
A United Nations spokeswoman said Japan's Foreign Ministry requested search and rescue assistance from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
More than 70 government rescue teams have offered to assist Japan.
The U.S. Agency for International Development dispatched a disaster-assistance response team and two urban search-and-rescue teams, each made up of about 72 people along with search-and-rescue dogs and about 75 tons of equipment.
President Barack Obama offered Japan "whatever assistance" is needed in the wake of the "potentially catastrophic" earthquake and tsunami.

Strong Quake Strikes Japan

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Kyodo News/Reuters

Japan Quake's Effects

See a map of post-earthquake events in Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.

Shaky Ground

Colliding plates under earth's surface make Asia Pacific one of the most tectonically active region on earth.

Disastrous Japan Earthquakes

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Associated Press
See a historical gallery of past earthquakes in Japan.
China said its international rescue team is ready to depart to Japan. China is dealing with the aftermath of its own deadly earthquake, a 5.8-magnitude quake that struck its southwestern Yunnan province on Thursday, killing at least 25 people and destroying some 18,000 houses.
Aid groups also said they were ready to jump in where needed, even though Japan boasts excellent emergency-response units and greater resources than most countries in dealing with disasters.
"Japan is possibly the most prepared country in the world. But obviously the scale of this is tremendous and that will sorely test even Japan's capacity," said Michael Kocher, who oversees international efforts at the International Rescue Committee.
The International Federation of Red Cross said its regional teams helped evacuate residents in Pacific islands including Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Palau and Fiji. It said it also would provide 20,000 tents and other nonfood items to Japan if needed.
The giant wave that raced eastward across the Pacific triggered tsunami warnings in more than 50 countries and evacuations as far away as California. But there were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties outside of Japan, putting widespread relief deployments on hold.
"A lot of search-and rescue teams are still monitoring and on standby, should they be needed," said Stephanie Bunker, a spokeswoman at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Relief organizations said major island nations, including Indonesia and the Philippines, appeared to have been spared widescale casualties. But they also hoped to have a fuller picture by Saturday, including more reports from smaller islands.
"I'm not totally satisfied we know the extent of the damage outside of Japan," said Bob Laprade, director for emergency assistance at CARE.
Many Asian countries have improved their warning systems in the wake of a tsunami in 2004 that killed tens of thousands of people, but other countries still lack the money or infrastructure.
Several relief groups have offices in Japan, often to support global fund-raising efforts. But Japan also serves as a base for their regional emergency-response teams that are often dispatched to less-developed countries to deal with disasters.
"To suddenly be faced with a disaster in your own home context turns things on their head a bit," said Kristy Allen-Shirley, a spokeswoman at World Vision.
—Patrick Barta, Keith Johnson and Brian Spegele contributed to this article.
Write to Mike Esterl at mike.esterl@wsj.com
(source:wallstreetjournal.com)
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