The Third Anniversary of Tohoku Tsunami
Three years ago, the Japanese region of Tohoku was struck by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, followed quickly by a 130 foot high tsunami. These horrifying events had tremendous short and long-term consequences. Most disastrous was the loss of life and the widespread, catastrophic damage to infrastructure. Damaged infrastructure at the Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant added a layer of concern, but thankfully, a nuclear disaster was avoided as 300,000 people were evacuated to safety.
Japan’s emergency response system is one of the best in the world, but any country would be hard pressed to return to normalcy after an event that left 21,000 people dead, injured, or missing and their communities destroyed. On this 3rd anniversary of the Tohoku Tsunami, many survivors are moving forward with their lives because of their own hard work and the support of NGOs in their communities. The time it will take for a full return can be magically reduced through the generosity of donors to the NGOs who continue their tireless work in Japan. Those who feel inspired to help can check out the multi-sectoral work of InterAction members, www.interaction.org and programs supported by Global Giving www.globalgiving.org. It may take years to restore communities and infrastructure, but the generosity of those who donate cash to these programs ensures that recovery will come sooner rather than later.