11
Mar 2024

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13 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: Coordinating relief to make support tangible

March 11, 2024 marks 13 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. We remember all those lost to this disaster, and express our sincere condolences to all families impacted. March 2011, in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Shortly after the Ishinomaki City Disaster Volunteer Centre was set up, staff of the Peace Boat Disaster Volunteer Centre (PBV) were set up in a corner receiving a constant stream of telephone calls. “We can serve 1,000 curries, but where should we go?” “‘I want to organise a soup kitchen, can you tell me if water and electricity are working, and what the situation is like in the affected areas?” At the request of […]

01
Mar 2024

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2 Months On: Continuing support for the Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture

Two months have now passed since the January 1, 2024 earthquake which struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. We convey our condolences to all those affected. Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) entered the area immediately after the disaster, and has since been working together with local organisations, relevant agencies and relief groups to gather information and carry out relief activities. Timeline following the Disaster January 2: PBV dispatches several staff to the area January 3: Launch of provision of hot meals and distribution of relief goods January 4: Distribution of relief goods January 5: Provision of hot meals Please see this report for details on initial activities carried […]

08
Feb 2024

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Wildfires in Central Chile: Emergency Relief Fund Launched

Wildfires began in at least four spots on February 2, 2024, and have been burning across parts of central Chile, particularly in the regions of Valparaíso, O’Higgins, and Maule resulting in casualties and damage. The authority referred to the wildfires as the worst catastrophe to hit the country since the earthquake of 2010. According to the Chilean National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED), at least 112 people have lost lives following the wildfires. The worst-hit areas include Complejo las Tablas- Reserva Lago Peñuelas. In addition, the media has reported approximately 200 missing people in and around Viña del Mar City (Valparaíso).  (source: ECHO, 5 Feb 2024). Peace Boat Disaster […]

31
Jan 2024

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Photo: Shoichi Suzuki

Ishikawa Noto Earthquake English Info Session with Focus on Volunteer Activities

Almost one month has passed since the earthquake in the Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. The damage was extensive, with the loss of more than 230 lives, 43,000 houses damaged, and 10,000 residents still in evacuation centers (as of 29 January). Civil society organizations, including Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV), have been working closely with local governments, relevant agencies and aid organizations to provide necessary assistance to the affected population. While tireless efforts to help those in the communities in Noto continue, a couple of local volunteer centers started their activities to respond to the local needs. PBV, together with Social Innovation Japan and NGO Peace Boat, will hold […]

18
Jan 2024

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Report: English language information session, 2024 Ishikawa Noto Peninsula Earthquake Emergency Relief

Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV), together with Peace Boat, hosted an English language information session on January 14 about emergency relief following the New Year’s Day earthquake which struck the Noto Peninsula area of Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1, 2024. As of January 13, 220 people lost their lives as a result of the disaster, and the full damage is not yet known. Strong aftershocks are still occurring frequently, and local residents are still in a very challenging situation. This session was organised to share with the international community in Japan and beyond updates from the situation on the ground, PBV’s aid activities, and information about how people can support. […]

10
Jan 2024

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From the field: Noto Ishikawa Earthquake Relief

“I hadn’t realised how important it is for things to be warm – something to eat, to wash your hands, bathe, and a place to sleep.” These words were shared with us by a local resident. Today, we distributed hot meals at Tada Elementary School in #Suzu City amidst lingering snow. The menu included Chinese-style rice bowls, beef bowls, curry and miso soup – a total of 200 meals. Thanks to the cooperation of the people at the evacuation centre, the service was done very smoothly. We will continue also tomorrow. As the cold winter days continue, we hope that even a moment of warmth will help the stressful situation […]

07
Jan 2024

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From the field: Ishikawa Noto Peninsula Earthquake Emergency Relief

Today, we carried out activities in two teams. One group delivered generators, gasoline, body warmers, water and food to areas where roads were connected last night. The heads of each local municipality will now distribute them to each household. This is the first time these areas have received relief supplies, and they gave thanks, almost in tears. Such actions are made possible by information shared at the private sector coordination meetings regarding villages and communities still in isolation. The second group provided hot meals at Tada Elementary Shool in Suzu City. More than 250 meals were served. The warm dishes included rice with mushrooms and wakame seaweed, vegetables and tofu […]

03
Jan 2024

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Ishikawa Earthquake: PBV helps hot-meal distribution in Nanao City

Shortly after the earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture on 1 January 2024, Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) dispatched the staff to the affected areas. In Ishikawa Prefecture alone, more than 34,000 residents are in evacuation centers as of the morning of 3 January. The affected region has a particularly high rate of elderly populations, thus the maintenance of health conditions after the evacuation is a crucial issue. Infrastructure in many parts of the disaster zones has been damaged, and the residents have less access to hot meals to keep them warm in freezing cold weather. PBV team joined local supporters in distribution of hot meals in front of a local fish […]

02
Jan 2024

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Ishikawa Noto Peninsula Earthquake Emergency Relief Fund

On 1 January 2024, an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 was observed in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture. Immediately after the earthquake, Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) started gathering information in cooperation with local organizations, government agencies, and support groups. On 2 January, PBV dispatched the staff to the Noto Peninsula, where the devastating damage had been reported, and is currently conducting damage and needs assessment in the region. Nearly 60,000 people are in evacuation centers in the affected prefectures (as of 2 January). Thousands of houses lost their supply of running water and electricity. Some hospitals need urgent support for patient transfer due to the loss of water and electricity. Suzu City, […]

28
Nov 2023

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Happy Giving Tuesday!

Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) has been carrying out emergency relief projects across Japan and abroad. During this year, the PBV launched relief projects in the following communities along with long-term projects in the areas affected by disasters in previous years. – Hatay, Turkey (earthquakes in February) – Ishikawa, Japan (earthquake in May) – Fukuoka, Japan (heavy rains in July) – Akita, Japan (floods in July and September) – Maui, Hawaii (fires in August) – Chiba, Japan (typhoon No.13 in September) Taking this opportunity, we would like to thank all of our supporters and donors for their continued cooperation. Without such generous support, we wouldn’t have been able to support […]