Japan: Disaster response update

Washed out vehicles are mingled with landslide by tsunami following the earthquake in Wakabayashi ward of Sendai city in Miyagi prefecture. © JIJI PRESS

As access improves in the region devastated by the 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunamis in northeast Japan, Médecins Sans Frontières is finding serious needs among pockets of populations in areas that had previously been impossible to reach by road.

Médecins Sans Frontières currently has a team of 10 people divided into three teams conducting mobile clinics and assessments in Miyagi prefecture, following the huge earthquake and resulting tsunamis last Friday.

The tsunamis have decimated coastal areas, which after huge efforts of Japanese authorities, are now becoming accessible by road.

“In one area around Minamisunriku, in northern Miyagi, we were told by officials there were 9,200 people in 20 evacuation centres who needed water, non-food items and medical attention,” said Mikiko Dotsu, the coordinator of the Médecins Sans Frontières team.

Although injured people had been evacuated by helicopter, there were a lot of elderly people, some of whom were dehydrated, the coordinator said.

“The chronic diseases of some of these elderly people are a cause for concern,” Mikiko said.

Médecins Sans Frontières is now identifying specific needs - which include oxygen, non-food items, medical items and water - and will work with Japanese authorities to assist these populations.

More Médecins Sans Frontières personnel staff are standing by in Japan and other countries, to head to Miyagi prefecture to increase our assistance.

Médecins Sans Frontières continues to monitor the situation around Fukushima nuclear power plants. If there is a serious nuclear incident, it is only the Japanese government that will be in a position to react.

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