We’ve been asked some questions about the Japan response and our efforts, and here are answers to several of the most frequent questions we’ve gotten.
How does the American Red Cross response to the Japan earthquake and tsunami compare with your response to other recent disasters like Haiti, Chile or last month’s earthquake in New Zealand?
The American Red Cross response to each disaster is different and depends upon whether there is a partner Red Cross national society operating in the affected country. Another key factor is what assistance – if any – that national society requests. For example, the Japanese Red Cross has said it would be grateful for financial contributions from the American Red Cross, but has not requested any other kinds of assistance. The Japanese Red Cross is a highly experienced disaster relief organization with 2 million trained volunteers nationwide.
By way of comparison, after last year’s earthquake in Haiti, the Haitian Red Cross requested comprehensive assistance from the global Red Cross network which includes the American Red Cross and 185 other national societies. As a result, the American Red Cross deployed dozens of emergency response experts, sent a wide variety of supplies – from blankets, to kits sets, tents and tarps as well as hygiene kits – and contributed money to the overall response effort of the Red Cross. We are still in Haiti supporting a wide-range of programs from building transitional homes to providing grants for school vouchers and other loans, to health and hygiene promotion around the cholera epidemic and HIV/AIDS among other diseases. To learn more about our ongoing work in Haiti please visit our website at: www.redcross.org/haiti
What is the Japanese Red Cross Society doing about the nuclear risk?
At the moment, Red Cross staff and volunteers are playing a key role in caring for the thousands of people evacuated from the 20-kilometre exclusion zone surrounding the affected Fukushima plants. The Red Cross is not working within the exclusion zone. All 47 of the Japanese Red Cross Society’s prefectural branches have basic nuclear, chemical, and biological (NBC) decontamination teams and equipment, including special tents in which radioactive material can be washed off people who have been exposed to radiation.
Much of this equipment is located in hospitals and can decontaminate a limited number of patients who may then be admitted to the hospital. The equipment is designed to be used in conjunction with the government’s specialist units, which have additional equipment and expertise to measure radiation. So far, there has been no request from the government to mobilize these teams.
With the support of government authorities, the Japanese Red Cross Society is monitoring the situation in hospitals close to the exclusion zone, in case radiation levels rise and pose a risk to patients.
Why has the Japanese Red Cross Society not launched an appeal?
So far, the Japanese Red Cross Society has been focused on supporting the survivors with medical, psychological counseling and relief supplies. A lot of this has been done with resources currently available. The task of recovery and reconstruction will be so enormous that it is still too early to have a realistic idea of what is going to be
involved.
The Japanese Red Cross Society has said very clearly that if people wish to help the survivors, the best way to do that is by donating money. The American Red Cross has been in contact with the Japanese Red Cross, and they have indicated they would be grateful for donations from the American Red Cross to support their earthquake and tsunami response.
What role are the IFRC and the Red Cross Red Crescent community playing?
The Japanese Red Cross Society and a team of partners from global Red Cross network are currently assessing the situation on the ground (as of Wednesday 16 March). The International Red Cross is providing specific support to the Japanese Red Cross Society on communications with two IFRC delegates – Patrick Fuller and Francis Markus – currently in Japan.
Also, the global Red Cross network has been working to support the Japanese Red Cross Society by creating a version of the restoring family links web site in Japanese, as well as in a number of other languages, for people both inside and outside Japan to re-establish contact with family members and friends missing in affected regions.
What is the main need at present?
At present, the focus is on search and rescue and also on caring for the very large number of people in evacuation centers. The key challenges will be getting sufficient supplies of food and drinking water, as well as toilets to cope with the huge numbers of displaced people. Also, with the numbers of deceased increasing daily, over the coming days, the humane and proper management of bodies will become a priority.
What is the Japanese Red Cross doing in the response to the earthquake and tsunami?
The Japanese Red Cross is a highly experienced disaster relief organization with 2 million volunteers nationwide. Many local volunteers are already taking action by distributing relief items, making sure displaced people are offered hot meals, clearing debris and providing medical transportation.
The Japanese Red Cross has deployed 115 medical teams, made up of more than 700 people, including doctors and nurses. These teams are providing assistance in affected areas through mobile medical clinics.
- While it is not the role of the Red Cross in the U.S., the Japanese Red Cross operates 104 hospitals throughout the country.
- Droves of injured people in need of medical help arrive around the clock – the wounded arrive on foot, by helicopter or carried by their fellow citizens.
About 550,000 people have been evacuated or displaced. Many have evacuated to the approximately 2,500 shelters operated by the government and supported by the Japanese Red Cross. The Japanese Red Cross has handed out more than 65,000 blankets so far, and nearly 28,000 more have been sent to the affected area for further
distribution.
The Japanese Red Cross specialist helicopter team was mobilized to evacuate people from rooftops and to assist with the logistics of transporting medicine and food to
hospitals.
In addition, the Japanese Red Cross is offering psychosocial support to affected people. The Japanese Red Cross has 2,400 nurses trained nationwide to give emotional comfort following major emergencies.
