Support evacuees of Fukushima

As a parallel event to the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reductionin Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, AAR Japan held Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Event on March 15^th and 16^th in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture. This two-day event included a music concert and DRR Symposium, in which a total of 1,100 people participated.

At the concert, a great number of disaster survivors enjoyed folk songs by Japanese folk singers and the performance of a professional impressionist, mimicking sounds of animals.

The symposium held on the next day was informative and thought-provoking. Ms. Kyung-Wha Kang, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), attended the symposium as a guest speaker. Referring to the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 and its aftermath, she highlighted that “the unique experience of Fukushima offers many lessons for humanitarian crises, not only to improve Japan’s own Disaster Risk Reduction efforts, but also to build a more resilient world.”

After the inspiring speech from Dr. Kang, the Soma City Mayor, representatives from local organizations, and physicians working in Soma Region passed on experiences and lessons learned through emergency operations and rehabilitation efforts after the 3.11 Tohoku catastrophe. Panelists also discussed DRR measures to prepare for, mitigate, and better respond to future disasters.

Ms. Hideko Igarashi, official storyteller of Soma City Disaster Storyteller Group, was one of the panelists in the symposium and told about her experiences from the disaster. On March 11^th, she was working in her guest house near Soma beach when the massive tsunami swept her away. “The tsunami rushed toward us quickly and quietly. The waves dashed against buildings and houses, and increased in its strength. Before I knew it, I was swallowed by the waves,” she recalled. “I could no longer hold onto the hands of my husband and uncle, who were running away with me. I felt fear of death for the very first time in my life”.

Unfortunately, Hideko lost her husband and uncle to the tsunami. It was a year later that she decided to become a story-teller, but in the beginning  she had no idea what message to convey to the audience. She sometimes sobbed for the entire session, recalling the day. Today, Hideko has made it her mission to speak about her experiences, while appreciating life and the fact that she survived. She also feels that her husband and uncle are giving her a supportive push.

Speaking about the importance being aware of disasters, she stressed that “evacuation is the first and foremost priority when a disaster strikes. We are forgetful beings. We must remember the Great East Japan Earthquake and its lessons, and maintain crisis awareness at all times.”