ShelterBox in Japan - 6 Months Later

Six months ago on March 11 at 05:46 local time Japan was struck by a 9 magnitude earthquake with the epicentre 120km off its north-eastern coast. The earthquake generated a tsunami devastating coastal communities with the most severe damage in three districts: Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.

ShelterBox were one of the first aid agencies to respond and were able to operate within the country due to their ability to work self-sufficiently. Within 24 hours of the disaster happening the first ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) was on the ground where they worked with the authorities to assess the areas of most need. Since then 1,680 boxes have been deployed to the area.

The speed, adeptness of the response and extent of aid delivered reserved special praise from the Japanese authorities that expressed their ‘deepest respect’ for ShelterBox’s work. The British Embassy in Tokyo has since sought specialist advice from ShelterBox regarding the most effective methods to operate in such an emergency.

During a recent visit made by ShelterBox, the mayor of Yamamoto-Cho, said that the tents provided by ShelterBox were made even more crucial by the lack of provisions from the Japanese government and other tent manufacturers whose resources had been strained due to the disaster.

John Leach, Head of Operations at ShelterBox, was present at the visit and said: ‘The Japanese were especially grateful for the tents as even in evacuation centres they were using them as private spaces and sleeping areas for families. This is incredibly important for morale and has given families a sense of dignity in the aftermath of disaster.

‘A handful of families were still living in ShelterBox tents as temporary accommodation was being built. But the presence of ShelterBox tents within the past six months has no doubt played a massive role in supporting these families while the country recovers.’

Inspired donations

Social media had an unprecedented role in ShelterBox’s response and fundraising effort. American author Maureen Johnson inspired donations by offering prizes to fans that donated to ShelterBox helping to raise over $14,202. Hollywood actor, Jack Black, also contributed by auctioning his Gibson SG guitar on eBay, which was used in the movie School of Rock.

Another fundraising drive was called ‘Songs of Love For Japan’ which featured a three-day flash sale of 100 tracks of rare and inspiring music. Artists that supported the project included Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Wolf Parade, The XX, The Submarines and Josh Ritter.

This celebrity effort added to the commitment shown by other ShelterBox fundraisers and supporter’s dedication has proven to play a vital role in Japan’s ongoing recovery from disaster.

The recovery effort is expected to take years to complete and ShelterBox send their best wishes to the Japanese authorities and families in the collective effort to rebuild their communities.

For more information on past and current deployments please visit the deployment page here and to view images taken from the Japan deployment please see the Flickr stream here