Japan Earthquake

Map showing the Evacuation zones around Fukushima Daiichi [link].

Background

One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the northeast coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. The earthquake and ensuing tsunami left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing, destroyed or damaged 190,000 buildings, and devastated parts of three northeastern prefectures. The disaster also caused a number of serious nuclear accidents, including one at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, where reactors overheated and leaked radiation, forcing over 100,000 residents to flee the surrounding area.

Now, the primary challenges for survivors are displacement and a lack of reliable knowledge of the effects of radiation leaks. Over 80,000 people are still living in shelters or hotels because they have no homes to return to or their homes fall within the official nuclear exclusion zone. Those who live near the nuclear exclusion zone do not know the levels of radiation in their area. While tens of thousands of people across northeastern Japan are struggling to rebuild their shattered lives and the government struggles with massive cleanup needs, the entire nation is affected by the nuclear disaster. Energy conservation is at a premium, and radiation has seeped into Japan’s food chain. The long-term health effects are still unknown.

UUA-UUSC response

Moved by the widespread devastation of this disaster, UUSC and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) opened the UUA-UUSC Japan Relief Fund. One half of the funds raised supports the UUA's religious partner organizations. The other half of the funds raised supports survivors in the wider community, following UUSC's approach to disaster relief.

UUSC's approach

In Japan, people are traditionally disregarded based on gender, ethnicity, class, and nationality. In the aftermath of the disaster, women — especially single mothers, pregnant women, survivors of violence, immigrants, and women with disabilities — have a hard time accessing the information and aid they need to recover and rebuild their lives. Immigrants in Japan (largely from Brazil, Vietnam, and the Philippines) face language barriers, unemployment, and fears about their legal status, which have kept many from accessing information and aid.

Today, through UUSC's relief efforts in Japan, the following activities are working to change that:

• A multilingual radio program developed and staffed by immigrants is helping 20,000 non-Japanese-speaking residents — including vulnerable mothers — reduce their isolation through self-help groups and access to vital information about services, employment, and assistance.
• The full variety of disaster-affected women's voices and needs are being documented so that they are included — not excluded — in local and national reconstruction plans.
• Activists and community members are working with government officials so that gender is mainstreamed into Japan's reconstruction plans as well as long-term disaster-response policy and disaster-risk reduction.

UUSC's work in Japan continues to expand. The Rights in Humanitarian Crises Program team is currently developing plans with a community center in Tohoku to provide special services for elderly and non-Japanese-speaking people. In addition,  a multilingual domestic-violence hotline for non-Japanese speakers and the LGBT community is in development in the earthquake-affected areas.

Help us help: donate now to the UUA-UUSC Japan Relief Fund.

Last Update: October 28, 2011