30
Jul 2021

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One year since the oil spill disaster in Mauritius: Interview with EPCO – Part One

In July 2020, M/V Wakashio, a bulk vessel owned and operated by a Japanese company went aground on the south-eastern coast of Mauritius. Ten days later, the ship started spilling oil causing environmental pollution to the sea and coastal areas. The Mauritian government declared a state of environmental emergency and called for support from the international community. Immediately after hearing the news, Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) started contacting the Mauritius-based NGOs responding to the emergency and launched an emergency fund to support their activities. One of the NGOs which PBV contacted and has been supporting is the Environmental Protection and Conservation Organization (EPCO). In early July, we had an […]

21
Jun 2021

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Update on Mauritius Oil Spill Emergency Relief: a video message from EPCO

Support to the affected communities continue Following the oil spill disaster caused by grounded MV Wakashio off Mauritius in August 2020, Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) launched an emergency relief fund to support local NGOs working for environmental recovery and assistance to the communities affected by the disaster. More than 8,500 individuals and organizations in Japan responded to the call for donation and made contribution to the fund. One of the organizations PBV has supported is a Mauritius-based NGO, Environmental Protection and Conservation Organization (EPCO) has implemented a year-long project to support communities in 17 villages along the south-eastern coast of the Mauritius island. The project aims to offer the […]

19
Mar 2021

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Emergency Relief for 2021 Fukushima Prefecture Offshore Earthquake

Following the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck offshore east of the Tohoku region on February 13, 2021, Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) dispatched an emergency assistance team to the affected areas. The earthquake caused damage to more than 20,000 houses (as of Feb. 22, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency), mainly in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. The accurate total number of houses damaged is still unknown and many people in the area are still living in damaged houses. In response to a request from the Yamamoto-cho Social Welfare Council (Miyagi Prefecture), PBV started relief activities by experienced staff on March 8 to put up tarpaulins on damaged roofs. […]

25
Feb 2021

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PBV’s Crowdfunding Campaign Launched

This year marks 10 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) celebrates its 10th anniversary. While sending our sincere gratitude to all supporters and volunteers who have offered a helping hand to those in need in disaster-struck areas in Japan and around the globe during the ten years, we are taking on a new challenge to take another step forward – a crowdfunding campaign targeted to raise five million yen by the end of March 2021. During the past 10 years, PBV has served disaster-affected areas in 54 communities across Japan with help of more than 100,000 volunteers, including international volunteers. The ongoing […]

19
Jan 2021

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Update: Relief efforts in Kumamoto continue

Evacuation Center Support for Kuma-mura residents The torrential rains and severe floods hit Kumamoto Prefecture in July 2020. Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) started logistics support to the relief organizations based in Kumamoto and neighboring prefectures immediately after the disaster. In response to the request from the prefectural government of Kumamoto and local government of Kuma-mura, YMCA Kumamoto and PBV provided operational support at the evacuation shelter for the residents affected by the disaster. PBV team and YMCA Kumamoto had been supporting the residents at the Former Taragi High School evacuation center from mid-August to the end of October when the center was closed. It was the first time for […]

23
Dec 2020

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2020 PBV Project Briefing Session

Disaster Relief Amidst COVID-19 PBV held its annual Project Briefing session virtually on 18 Dec 2020. The session was open to registration to members of the public – especially those who have supported PBV’s efforts one way or another – to update and inform them about PBV’s activities throughout 2020. At the start of the session, an overview of how COVID-19 has impacted PBV’s disaster relief efforts was given. With concerns about how COVID-19 would put pressure on existing societal frameworks and systems, PBV has coined COVID-19 as a disaster on a global scale. COVID-19 has made it difficult for PBV staff to enter into disaster-hit areas due to movement […]

16
Dec 2020

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2020 Vietnam Emergency Fund Raising :Severe Flooding and Storms

Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) has launched an emergency relief fund to support those affected by the floods and typhoons in central Vietnam. Since the beginning of October 2020, nine provinces in central Vietnam experienced torrential rains and seven tropical storms by the end of November. Landslides and floods caused enormous damage to the communities in the region, including loss of more then 240 lives. The United Nations Country Office in Vietnam estimates the disaster affected 7.7 million people and support in every sector, including food, livelihood, health and education, is in urgent need. The PBV, in collaboration with the Da Nang Youth Union, which has been actively involved in […]

01
Dec 2020

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Giving Tuesday 2020

What’s your plan for this year’s Giving Tuesday? The year 2020 has been an unusual one; many of us have spent most of the time at home globally. Many had to give up excitement and entertainment like meeting with loved ones, social gathering, international travels and seasonal festivals to keep social distancing. While many of us go through the challenging time, there are people who are in even tougher situations, such as in disaster affected areas. The hardship forced the humanitarian organizations including PBV to reconsider the ways to support those in need, but our tireless efforts have not been interrupted by the pandemic. Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity […]

20
Nov 2020

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Update: Mauritius Oil Spill Emergency Relief

Long-term support needed for a full recovery In July 2020, MV Wakashio, a ship owned and operated by Japanese companies, ran aground on a coral reef south east of Mauritius. The heavy oil in the ship started  leaking out to sea on August 6th, 2020 and the ship was broken into two pieces by mid-August. The incident caused enormous damage to the environment and livelihood of the coastal communities. At the end of August, Peace Boat Disaster Relief (PBV) launched an emergency relief fund and called for donations to support local organizations working for environmental recovery and community reconstruction. As mentioned in our previous post, we have been in touch […]

31
Aug 2020

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Call for donations: Mauritius Oil Spill Emergency Relief Fund

Environmental Emergency On July 25th, the Wakashio, a cargo ship owned and operated by a Japanese company, ran aground in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Pointe d’Esny in southeastern Mauritius. The accident caused fuel from the ship to begin leaking out into the surrounding coral reefs on August 6th, resulting in over 1000 tons of oil polluting the nearby waters and coast lines. The Mauritius government has declared a ‘state of environmental emergency.’ It is believed that the impact this incident will have on the ecosystem will last for decades, and that long-term relief efforts will be necessary for the environmental recovery. Apart from the main island of […]

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