In Ishikawa Prefecture, which was severely damaged by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, water has been still cut off in some areas, and there is no way to restore the water supply. The waterless goods that AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan) delivers to local communities, donated by companies, have been particularly well received. Here are some comments from the affected areas.

More than six weeks have passed since the earthquake occurred, water has been cut off at the Ishikawa Seiikuen (social welfare corporation Tokumitsu-kai), a support facility for people with disabilities in the town of Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture. The facility accommodates 105 persons with intellectual disabilities, including those with severe disabilities, who are unable to brush their teeth or take a bath because of water outage.

When AAR delivered a “waterless toothbrush set” (toothbrush, toothpick, etc.), donated free of charge by Yamato-Esulon Co., Ltd. (Yao City, Osaka Prefecture), the member of staff said, “I wanted something like this! The patients are unable to brush their teeth normally, so the staff members clean their teeth with a cotton ball, but there was a risk of injuring staff’s fingers. Now I can help them brush their teeth safely.”

At Suzu Tsubaki Social Welfare Corporation (Suzu City), a service manager said, “We cannot expect the water supply to be restored for the time being. The waterless toothbrush is a good product and a great help to us, as the oral care of the patients is not well taken care of.

Both facilities have received waterless “dry shampoo” and “wet towels”, donated by Felissimo Corporation (Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture). Both are indispensable items for caregivers in situations where bathing is difficult.

Cardboard beds “have been very helpful.”

Cardboard beds are also being used to make everyday life at the evacuation centers as comfortable as possible. They provide highly effective heat insulation and eliminate the need to sleep on the cold, hard floors of gymnasiums and community centers. Hirohisa Kudo, director of the Wajima Municipal Oya Community Center, said, “The beds have been very helpful, with the additionally provided mattresses. The evacuees love them.”

A man in his 70s who was relaxing with his dog said, “I can sleep peacefully thanks to the cardboard beds, and my body feels a little better.” In Wajima City, cardboard beds donated from Morii Shiki Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture), delivered by AAR, are also in use.

In the affected areas, the removal of collapsed houses and the construction of temporary housing have finally begun, but it will still take more time until people can regain their daily lives. We would like to once again express our gratitude to all the companies and organizations that are cooperating with AAR by providing supplies.

We would like to thank you once again for your cooperation in AAR’s support for the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake.