2024 Ishikawa (Noto) Earthquake & Rain Response

One year after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, 504 deaths have been confirmed and two people are still missing. Still reeling from this tragedy, record rainfall in the area in September caused flooding and landslides leading to six more deaths. Throughout this time Civic Force continues to assist the affected people and our NPO Partner Projects are supporting local organizations. Please read below introducing two of our Partner Projects.

Noto Sasaeru

Noto Sasaeru is a group of volunteers whose members are based in the "Heart House" group home for people with disabilities in Kanazawa City. After the January earthquake, they announced that they would accept people with disabilities and their families who have difficulty living in evacuation shelters. They provide consultations and temporary care for people involved in welfare for people with disabilities.

In October an NPO Partner Project was launched to provide dental care at home for people with disabilities and the elderly, mainly in Wajima City and Suzu City. There were few dentists and dental clinics in the Oku-Noto region even before the earthquake, but the situation has become even more serious since the flooding disaster. As an increasing number of victims find themselves unable to receive medical treatment, the project works with doctors from within and outside Ishikawa Prefecture to visit people who have difficulty going to the dentist.

The project also involves regular visits to temporary housing in Suzu City, and is committed to preventing the isolation of disaster victims. Noto Sasaeru will continue to hold regular events and dispatch volunteers to identify people in the so-called "gray zone" - those who show characteristics of developmental disorders but do not meet all of the diagnostic criteria - and those suspected of having dementia to connect them to appropriate support.

Many of the victims are living in temporary housing, but some were forced to move into housing complexes different from the people in their previous neighborhoods. Some people tend to stay at home due to the confusion and stress of building new relationships in a completely different environment. There is a continuing shortage of support staff making it difficult to provide detailed care, and there have already been cases of people dying alone in temporary housing. Therefore, an immediate response is required.

Tomoe

Tomoe runs the "Ibasho Shokudo" soup kitchen for children facing various challenges, including school refusal and social withdrawal. It was established in 2016 with the aim of supporting people with disabilities and currently operates three facilities.

After the earthquake, Tomoe received more inquiries from parents and the number of users is still increasing. One of the reasons behind this is that there are fewer places for children to go due to the earthquake and aftershocks. For several months after the disaster, schools, daycare facilities, and community centers in the city were used as evacuation shelters, and some parks could no longer be used due to damaged playgrounds. As evacuation life dragged on, some children were scolded at the evacuation shelters for being "too noisy." An increasing number of children who have dropped out of school or are withdrawn from society come to Tomoe for various reasons.

Tomoe is preparing to open a candy store in the garage of Ibasho Shokudo. It will have lots of exciting candies on display and create a space where children can interact with each other. Tomoe hopes that the store will be a place where children can release the anxiety, fear, and other emotional imbalances that came from the disaster.