Asia, Japan Relief and Recovery, Featured Post

Ishikawa Earthquake Relief Week 3

January 18, 2024

Two smiling Japanese women sit on opposite sides in an elementary school gym holding a plastic wrapped food while a Japanese woman in a red ARROWS jacket sits between them

ARROWS staff member and evacuees at evacuation center

Three weeks have passed since the 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan’s Noto Peninsula. At least 220 people are confirmed dead, and tens of thousands are displaced from their homes. Infrastructure, including water and electricity, is still limited in many parts of the affected area.

As the situation stabilizes, more than 40 members from the Peace Winds and ARROWS teams remain on the ground providing medical care and essential supplies to survivors in and around Suzu City.

Doctors, nurses, and emergency response staff are treating patients at mobile clinics and temporary clinics in evacuation centers. The convenience of these clinics means patients don’t have to wait as long to receive medical attention. Peace Winds has also begun working with mobile pharmacies in the area so that ARROWS doctors can easily prescribe medications.

ARROWS staff members work next to a large medical van with a tent attached

ARROWS staff working at mobile clinics

Thanks to Peace Winds’ helicopters and emergency response ship, the “Toyoshima Maru,” our teams are able to deliver emergency supplies–food, fuel oil, hygiene products and more–to areas where trucks cannot reach due to damaged roads. For example, last week on January 12, Peace Winds distributed fresh fruits and vegetables to evacuees sheltering in a local elementary school. While some evacuees are able to cook on gas stoves, Peace Winds is focusing on providing food that requires less preparation due to fuel, electricity, and water shortages.

Unloading fresh produce delivery

The road to recovery for Ishikawa’s earthquake survivors will be long, and Peace Winds is committed to maintaining our presence over the long-term in the Noto Peninsula to help rebuild the disaster-affected communities. It is clear that there will be immense needs in the months and years ahead, including mental health and medical care, economic revitalization, and community-building activities.

Peace Winds would like to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has donated, sent thoughtful notes, and to those who have created their own fundraisers in support of our GlobalGiving project. It means so much to our teams in Japan and around the world to see our followers coming together in support of a community in need. Peace Winds would not be able to carry out our relief efforts without your kindness and generosity.

We especially want to thank the United States-Japan Foundation for generously matching all donations up to $25,000 made through their fundraiser. If you have not yet made a donation and would like to double your impact thanks to the USJF-USJLP fundraiser, please click here.

New donations to Peace Winds’ “Japan Disaster: Relief and Recovery” project will go toward relief and recovery activities in Ishikawa Prefecture as well as broader disaster preparedness efforts. We are grateful for your continued support.