2019 Emergency Response to Typhoon Faxai & Hagibis

JCSA Lending Out Vehicles for Free

As a JPF grant project, JPF member NGO Japan Car Sharing Association (JCSA) is lending out vehicles for free to those affected by Typhoon Hagibis and relief organizations active in Miyagi Prefecture and in other areas.

JCSA staff who visited the centers in Tochigi and Iwaki, Fukushima, got to speak with a few users of JCSA's service about their future. In Marumori, Miyagi, some came to return the car they had been using, saying, "We just had our new car delivered," looking much more cheerful than when they came in for the first time. On the other hand, those whose lives were already difficult before the disaster were experiencing additional hardships as a result of being affected by this typhoon. We find it necessary to consider supporting these people, too.

OBJ Beginning Support at Temporary Housing Complexes

As a JPF grant project, JPF member NGO Operation Blessing Japan (OBJ) is assisting people affected by the typhoon who are living in the temporary housing complexes in the town of Marumori in Miyagi Prefecture.

With four months having passed since the typhoon hit, some people who were affected by this disaster have not asked for volunteers or for any other support, and are living in their own homes trying to restore their livelihoods on their own. Among such people are those who have various reasons for not seeking assistance, such as not having mobile phones and being unable to access necessary information, not being able to seek volunteer assistance directly due to mobility issues preventing them from doing so, and not understanding how exactly the assistance process works in the first place.OBJ will continue to conduct needs assessment in this community.

JISP's Livelihood Assistance

JPF member NGO Japan International Support Program (JISP) is providing livelihood assistance for people affected by Typhoon Hagibis in Miyagi Prefecture. On 15th February, the JISP team visited an afterschool care facility for children with disabilities called Merkmal Kasukawa Mirai in the Kasukawa neighborhood of the town of Osato.

On this day, Dr. Taiyo Okada, a clinical psychologist and a school counselor who has a lot of experience working with various communities that have been affected by disasters, led the children in a Brain Gym exercise. Playing with large balloons and engaging in exercises that facilitate their physical and psychological growth, the children were energetic as they actively moved around. After these exercises, a workshop was held for supporters, parents, and guardians, where the participants learned about psychological care for the children and the effects disasters have on them.