In the wake of the Kumamoto earthquake that struck on July 28, approximately 90,000 households remain without running water, and more than 10,000 people are living in evacuation shelters amid severe summer heat. AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan) initiated emergency meal distributions on July 30.

AAR’s partner organization, the NGO Peace Project (led by Ben Kato, Board Director of AAR Japan), deployed to the affected area on July 29 and immediately began preparations for emergency meal distribution. On the evening of July 30, the team served seasoned mixed rice (gomoku gohan) to around 180 evacuees at the Yachiwa Community Center, a designated shelter in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Evacuees who received the cooked meals greeted AAR staff with bright smiles, sharing expressions of relief: “It was delicious!” and “I hadn’t eaten anything since this morning. I’m truly grateful.” The shelter accommodates people whose homes were destroyed, as well as those unable to return home due to fear of aftershocks. The warm meal provided a rare moment of comfort and peace of mind during a chaotic time.

One evacuee remarked, “This is my first proper meal since the earthquake. It’s wonderful!” Later, as the meal service was concluding, another evacuee asked AAR staff, “Hardly any food has reached the nearby shelters since the disaster. Would it be possible to share some with them as well?” The request highlighted the reality that relief supplies have not yet reached all those in need.

Moving forward, AAR Japan plans to expand its cooked meal services not only to those in designated shelters, but also to people sheltering at home, as well as welfare facilities where cooking equipment remains unusable due to structural damage and water outages. We will continue providing nutritious meals that are easy to eat during the intense summer heat.

We humbly ask for your continued support for AAR’s Kumamoto Earthquake Emergency response.