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Earthquake and tsunami in Japan

  • Another day, another place. Head nurse Sayoko Tojo (left) and the Omori Red Cross hospital team begin a new day in the devastated town of Kamaishi.
  • The tsunami stopped the clock at Ishinomaki Red Cross Nursing School at 3.55 pm. Japanese Red Cross
  • Clean water is a vital part of the evacuation centres' sanitation programme to prevent the spread of disease. Nobuyuki Kobayashi, JRCS. p-JPN0378
Head nurse Sayoko Tojo (left) and the Omori Red Cross hospital team begin a new day in the devastated town of Kamaishi.

On Friday 11 March, a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the eastern coast of Japan

Six months on from the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that devastated huge areas of north-eastern Japan, the future remains uncertain for thousands of survivors.

The Japanese Red Cross has played a key role in emergency response and recovery efforts. It has already provided a package of household appliances to 82,000 families who have moved in to temporary homes. The programme will be expanded to reach around 110,000 families.


Read the Japanese Red Cross Society's operations update. 
See photos from Japan on Flickr

News stories from Japan:

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON DIARY 5: Psychosocial teams provide human contact

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON DIARY 5: Psychosocial teams provide human contact

Amid the maze of waist-high cardboard partitions that afford the only privacy available in the evacuation centre, are two Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) ...

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON DIARY 4: Disaster preparedness and living life to the full

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON DIARY 4: Disaster preparedness and living life to the full

Norishige Onodera, the principal of Shishiori Primary School is a chatty, jokey character in his late 50’s. But when he takes us out to the balcony of his school to ...

JAPAN: Six Months on - Japanese Red Cross helps tsunami survivors face up to an uncertain Future

JAPAN: Six Months on - Japanese Red Cross helps tsunami survivors face up to an uncertain Future

It’s been six months since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that devastated huge areas of north-eastern Japan and left more than 20,000 people dead or missing.

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON – Diary 3: Volunteers show the value of fun for both young and old

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON – Diary 3: Volunteers show the value of fun for both young and old

It’s pouring with rain, but as far as I can see that doesn’t seem to dampen the fun taking place under the canopies in the car park of the temporary shelter settlement.

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON – Diary 2: People and produce bound together?

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON – DIARY 2: People and produce bound together?

They’re chopping leeks and ginger and bitter gourd, then washing noodles and deep-frying vegetables in batter to make some of the most appetising tempura I’ve seen.

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON - DIARY 1: Memories and an uncertain future

JAPAN SIX MONTHS ON - DIARY 1: Memories and an uncertain future

Mrs Yamada lights a short stick of incense and plants it in a bowl in front of the photograph of her late husband and the stone spirit tablet, which is Japanese ...

Japan Diary 5: Taking special care of the sick and elderly

Japan Diary 5: Taking special care of the sick and elderly

Out of the corner of my eye, almost as if in slow motion, I see an elderly woman falling off her chair. She’s right over the other side of the room, so I’m powerless ...

Japan Diary 4: Helping children put disaster behind them

Japan Diary 4: Helping children put disaster behind them

I’m not really all that bothered by the fly buzzing around us as we chat in the school principal’s office, with cups of hot instant coffee standing in front of us.

Earthquake and tsunami in Japan Photo gallery in Flickr

Related documents

Information bulletin no. 5

IFRC on Twitter

Federation: "A year may have passed, but the work being done by #NewZealand #RedCross in Canterbury has not ended.” http://t.co/edcTt5FU #eqnz
Federation: MT @NZRedCross Our thoughts are w/ our friends, family & colleagues in #ChCh today as they mark 1 yr anniversary of Feb 22 earthquake #eqnz
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