22
Jan 2019

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[Western Japan Flooding] We Need More Volunteers!

The Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) has been working in Kurashiki, Okayama to support local residents who were affected by the torrential rain and flood in July 2018. The PBV has dispatched more than 300 volunteers to help out with emergency shelter management, hot meal distribution, relief supply-demand coordination, house clean-ups, community re-building and other activities needed in the affected area. Six months have passed since the disaster, but the local residents are still in great need of help to recover and rebuild their livelihoods and communities, and the PBV has decided to continue the support effort until 24 March 2019. We seek volunteers who can work with […]

25
Dec 2018

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[Flood in Western Japan] Call for International Volunteers: January 2019

We are calling for a team of international volunteers to Kurashiki, Okayama, again! Western Japan was hit by historic rainfall in July 2018, leading to the worst storm-related disaster in the Heisei era. In response to the disaster, Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) has carried out relief activities in the affected area right after the disaster in July. Since then, PBV has dispatched hundreds of volunteers from all over Japan and also from other countries, to Kurashiki city, Okayama Prefecture where severely damaged by the disaster. People in the damaged area are still facing huge challenges in recovery, and are in a great need of help from volunteers […]

16
Oct 2018

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[Flooding in Western Japan] Helping Hands Beyond Borders and Nationalities

During the weekend from 5th to 8th October, four volunteers from Spain, the US, and Canada participated in relief activities led by the house preservation team in Mabicho, Kurashiki city, Okayama prefecture. Despite having never previously visited Okayama, or been involved in disaster relief work in Japan, their urge to help those affected by the disaster guided them to Okayama. As well as members who have lived here for some time, the relief activities were joined by a traveler on a temporary visit, and an exchange student who arrived less than two weeks ago. Their participation really surprised and impressed us! The team and other volunteers engaged in cleaning two […]

09
Oct 2018

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Emergency Response: 2018 Slawesi Earthquake and Tsunami

On 28th September, 2018 (Friday), an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck island of Slawesi, Indonesia. According to an announcement by the Indonesian Government, the earthquake and tsunami caused severe destruction, and over 1,500 people are confirmed to have lost their lives (as of 5th October). Number of people who are left homeless has reached to more than 70,000. The full scale of the earthquake and tsunami’s devastation has yet to be confirmed. We have received reports from the local support groups that many residents are left homeless without access to communication and lifeline, facing a great shortage of daily needs. To respond to the emergency situation, Peace Boat […]

13
Sep 2018

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Emergency Response: 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake

An earthquake measuring 7 (out of 7) on the Japanese seismic intensity scale occurred in the early morning of September 6, 2018, resulting in a large-scale blackout and causing massive damage from landslides and liquefaction. In order to provide support for people and areas affected by the earthquake, Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) dispatched trained and experienced staff to the affected area on September 8 to carry out an initial disaster assessment, and has been cooperating closely with related groups and relief organizations. Our immediate goal is to be able to quickly provide support for people in the areas affected most by the earthquake—Atsumi, Abira, and Mukawa towns. We […]

12
Jul 2018

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Emergency Response: Flooding in Western Japan

Much of western Japan, including Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Saga, Hiroshima, Okayama, Hyogo, Kyoto, and Gifu Prefectures, has been hit by historic rainfall. Several areas have been impacted by flooding and landslides that have claimed lives, devastated entire communities, and forced many people to evacuate from their homes. PBV is currently working closely with partner organisations and relevant agencies to gather as much information as possible about the situation on the ground. After conducting a rapid needs assessment, PBV will implement a comprehensive response to support survivors, in collaboration with local community and government groups. We would greatly appreciate your involvement and support in helping those affected by the flooding in western Japan. […]

01
Jun 2018

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Two years after the Kumamoto earthquake, staff interview

Two years have passed since the Kumamoto earthquake of April 2016. The Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) was established seven years ago, following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The Kumamoto earthquake was PBV’s second time large-scale disaster response following an earthquake. PBV stayed on site and provided direct support for about 8 months. Many young people chose to work with non-profit organisations following their experience working with PBV in the area affected by the Kumamoto earthquake. For this interview we will be talking with two current PBV staff members.           KUMON Hiroki Nickname: Monmon From Saga Prefecture, 27 years old   […]

10
Feb 2017

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Haiti: Emergency Response Phase 2

On 4th October 2016, Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti, leaving a trail of destruction across the island nation. The hurricane brought about the country’s most severe humanitarian crisis since the 2010 earthquake. In the weeks and months following the disaster, there was a spike in cholera, diarrhea, and other water-related illnesses. One of the reasons for this is that many sanitation and water systems were destroyed, leading to contamination of water sources. Having consulted with local partners and gathered extensive information from UN agencies and other credible sources, PBV identified this need and decided to launch a phase 2 project focusing on clean water and community sanitation. Following on from the […]

08
Dec 2016

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Disaster Preparedness Training For Dutch Embassy Tokyo Staff

On 2nd December 2016, PBV was invited to the Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tokyo to train Embassy staff in disaster preparedness. PBV conducted two workshops, attended by a total of 45 embassy staff. The participants explored the following key workshop themes: – Understanding your household and surroundings – Visualizing a disaster – Disaster preparedness and response PBV’s trainer covered practical skills in how to prepare one’s home, protect one’s self and loved ones, and minimise disaster impacts. The participants not only learnt tangible methods to make their homes safer, but also identified evacuation routes in their communities and learnt how to make effective disaster plans for […]

19
Nov 2016

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Haiti Emergency Response: Phase One Complete

PBV began gathering information and contacting local partners immediately after Hurricane Matthew struck the Caribbean region in the first week of October 2016. During the week of 17th October, PBV established a formal partnership for Hurricane Matthew Emergency Response New York-based nonprofit, World Cares Center, with whom PBV partnered to respond to Hurricane Sandy in the USA in 2012/2013. Emergency Response Operations A PBV staff member departed for the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince with Lisa Orloff, Founder and Executive Director of World Cares Center, arriving in the morning of 29th October. After liaising with local staff and preparing emergency supplies, PBV and World Cares Center departed for Jeremie, approximately 280km drive […]