Comments from Tohoku
(No, not my comments but from someone who lives there...)
I live in Iwate and had chances to observe local efforts while visiting friends on the coast. From what I observed at the official relief center, there are a lot of LOCAL hands (including evacuees). They load and unload trucks, distribute food and supplies, cook meals and support SDF logistics and such. Food and supplies are arriving in mass through Kamaishi and other ports and largely distributed by SDF vehicles or trucks driven by Kuroneko and other local business volunteers.
If there is a problem, that would be fuel shortage to make this happen. Availability of fuel might have improved in Kanto but not much here in Iwate, and not at all in affected towns.
Anyway, SDF and public workers are working around the clock distributing and researching the needs in addition to their rescue work organized under local governments. They are now requesting shelters autonomous bodies to share the food and supplies with other affected locals who are outside the shelter network (they are home but have no access to food). They are responding to a lot of needs that are changing daily.
What I want to say is that while it’s nice to come all the way up here to help individually, it’s also important to help existing efforts be more effective. As I live in Iwate with my American husband, we get a lot of requests from foreign donors and helpers and cannot help feeling that this is becoming like tourism or some kind of self-satisfying mission as they seem condescending about local governmental efforts.
I’m sorry if I sound harsh because I know you all mean well.
its important to listen to the voices of people there - not working on the ground from that place.
I live in Iwate and had chances to observe local efforts while visiting friends on the coast. From what I observed at the official relief center, there are a lot of LOCAL hands (including evacuees). They load and unload trucks, distribute food and supplies, cook meals and support SDF logistics and such. Food and supplies are arriving in mass through Kamaishi and other ports and largely distributed by SDF vehicles or trucks driven by Kuroneko and other local business volunteers.
If there is a problem, that would be fuel shortage to make this happen. Availability of fuel might have improved in Kanto but not much here in Iwate, and not at all in affected towns.
Anyway, SDF and public workers are working around the clock distributing and researching the needs in addition to their rescue work organized under local governments. They are now requesting shelters autonomous bodies to share the food and supplies with other affected locals who are outside the shelter network (they are home but have no access to food). They are responding to a lot of needs that are changing daily.
What I want to say is that while it’s nice to come all the way up here to help individually, it’s also important to help existing efforts be more effective. As I live in Iwate with my American husband, we get a lot of requests from foreign donors and helpers and cannot help feeling that this is becoming like tourism or some kind of self-satisfying mission as they seem condescending about local governmental efforts.
I’m sorry if I sound harsh because I know you all mean well.
its important to listen to the voices of people there - not working on the ground from that place.
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