One of the first thoughts Takeshi Komino had when the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami devastated the northeastern part of Japan was pointed and surprising.
“Is this really happening in my country of Japan?” thought Komino, head of emergencies for CWS Asia/Pacific. “Japan is considered one of the richest nations in the world with probably the best disaster risk reduction measures in the region.” Surely, he believed, Japan had the resources to respond itself to the disaster.
But it’s now clear, a month after the event, that the country’s domestic resources alone are not sufficient and thousands of survivors still await assistance. That’s because the affected area is dealing with four disasters nearly all at once: a 9.0 earthquake, a tsunami, a grave nuclear radiation threat and freezing winter weather.
“Survivors I interviewed echo the same point: that relief efforts reported in the media are not consistently reaching them, which tells us there is a huge variation on where needs are somewhat being met and not being met at all,” he said.
CWS has expanded its initial efforts to include medical assistance, as it is working with local partners in Japan to coordinate emergency relief for about 25,000 individuals sheltered at 100 evacuation sites in Miyagi, Fukushima, Iwate, Ibaragi and Tochigi Prefectures.
SERVICE recently interviewed Komino about the challenges facing the agency as it responds to this unprecedented event:
Photo: Takeshi Komino
SERVICE: Though it’s become clearer in recent weeks why an international response is needed, many Americans shared your initial thoughts – why respond in Japan?
KOMINO: This disaster has brought clearly an unexpected damage level. It is far beyond what Japan experienced in the last large-scale disaster, the Kobe earthquake back in 1995. The current disaster has caused a lot of problems and confusion. Relief and recovery take time and many communities are left out of more mainstream assistance, and this is where civil society and international assistance play a critical role. This, of course, has to be done in close coordination with the government of Japan.
SERVICE: You’ve said the government has been overwhelmed by events but that non-governmental groups like CWS have to work within the system created by the government. It sounds like a challenge.
KOMINO: The government has worked hard to meet the challenges but the government does not have the resources to meet the needs to serve the most vulnerable, including those who can’t get to evacuation sites. So, overall I would say that the government creates the system we work in but it’s the people, the survivors mainly, who create communities. People are shocked and devastated, and don’t know where to start rebuilding their lives. Many are still looking for any signs of their missing loved ones. As civil society humanitarian actors, we believe there is a critical room for assistance to these people in order for them to re-formulate and re-build their communities again.
SERVICE: What is CWS’s special niche in responding to this disaster?
KOMINO: Most importantly, being committed to helping the most vulnerable. Secondly, making need-based programming a cornerstone – being flexible, as in our adding medical assistance to our programming. Also, being a key coordinator of efforts between various groups, including the Japan Platform, a consortium of 32 Japanese non-governmental organizations, the business community and the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And working with a number of ecumenical partners throughout Japan.
SERVICE: As someone who has worked in the affected area, what do you think the particular challenges are now?
KOMINO: One is cold weather, with snow falling and temperatures below zero-degree Celsius. That has made the response more challenging. There is the trouble of access: some communities have been left out because of rubble and nuclear threats. In terms of the rubble part, the Self Defense Force of Japan is clearing the roads now, but for communities living in a 30-kilometer radius of Fukushi-Daiichi Nuclear Plant, there aren’t many other options than to self-evacuate. Relief items are not being sent to this area much anyway due to the radiation threat.
There is also the problem of numbers affected: when you count people who remain at home but who visit evacuation sites because they don’t have food, water and stoves, it probably numbers beyond 500,000. That is an enormous amount of people to feed and to give warmth.
SERVICE: And the threat of radiation?
KOMINO: It’s real; radiation definitely poses a threat. This area is expected to be inaccessible for decades if the radiation spread continues. There is an enormous impact to the agricultural sector in this region, and the full scale of damage from that alone has yet to be grasped.
SERVICE: Further thoughts?
KOMINO: Japanese communities need support from us in many ways. It will take a long time until they can stand on their feet, and to rebuild their lives. A “people-centered” approach adds value in community building, for those in tight-knit communities. Throughout the world, CWS has a lot of experience in this kind of approach. We certainly will continue to support the people of Japan.
HOW TO HELP: Contributions to support CWS emergency response efforts may be made online, sent to your denomination, or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515. (Appeal #699-Y)
Church World Service is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy.