Eating is the power of recovery in disaster areas! –In Ishikawa Prefecture, which was devastated by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, more than 20,000 people are still living in evacuation centers or in their cars. AAR Japan(Association for Aid and Relief, Japan) has been supporting those who are facing difficulties by assisting soup kitchens run by the victims themselves, providing food for orphanages and foreign residents, in addition to soup kitchens at evacuation centers.

AAR has been supporting the efforts of chef Shunya Ikehata of the French restaurant “L’atelier de Noto” in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and his volunteers. On February 16, when the weather was very cold, they served “Stew with plenty of vegetables” made with various vegetables, mushrooms, and pork, together with freshly cooked rice.

Not only neighbors, but also a married couple on their way to transport discarded furnitures in a mini truck, local agricultural cooperatives, recovery support groups, and others stopped by one after another, receiving meals asking “How are you doing? ” “I’m fine, thanks!”.

AAR delivered vegetables such as lettuce, komatsuna(Japanese spinach) and broccoli, and processed meat products such as sausages and ham to Asunaro Gakuen, an orphanage in Anamizu Town, in Ishikawa prefecture. The facility provides three meals a day to 22 children, and the person in charge of cooking said, “With these received fresh vegetables we received, we will make salads for them as soon as possible.” The water supply has not yet been restored in this area, and the staff members are struggling to support the children grow day by day.

Foods from home country for Indonesian trainees

The Ogi fishing port in Noto Town, located in the northeastern part of the Noto Peninsula, has been suffering from a water shortage that has made it impossible to make ice, which is essential for fishing boats, and has made it almost impossible to go out fishing. At a dormitory adjacent to the fishing cooperative, 28 Indonesian trainee fishermen (all men in their 20s) engaged in crab, shrimp, and squid fishing are living together, cooking their own meals. In response to their requests, AAR delivered long rice, vegetables, eggs, cooler boxes, kerosene, etc., as they said they were having difficulty obtaining food and daily necessities because they could not go far to buy them.

AAR staff, who had previously been stayed in Jakarta, visited the dormitory with Indonesian instant noodles, coffee, seasonings, and other popular Indonesian items. Yacob, 22, from Flores Island in eastern Indonesia, who has been in Japan for two years, said, “This is the taste of Indonesia that everyone loves. Telemakasi Banyak! (Thank you so much) for bringing it from so far away for us.” He said with a smile in both Japanese and Indonesian. We also provided water to the victims, as the water supply is not working and there is a shortage of drinking water.

While the severe situation continues in the affected areas, the residents are trying to overcome the difficulties by helping each other. We appreciate your cooperation in AAR’s support for the Noto Peninsula earthquake victims.