In the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, which has been hit by record-breaking heavy rainfall, AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief Japan) has begun providing food assistance to foreign survivors in the affected areas. We delivered food and drinking water to technical intern trainees who are anxious about the difficulty of receiving information and support due to language barriers and other problems, and interviewed them about their immediate needs.

“I was surprised to see rainwater knee-deep in front of our dormitory”, “It was raining terribly, but the Japanese captain was worried and came to check on us, which made me feel relief a bit.” Indonesian fishery trainees at a fishing port in Suzu City, located at the tip of the Noto Peninsula, described how they were affected by the disaster, and showed a look of relief when we visited them with relief supplies at the end of September.

There are currently 17 trainees living in this dormitory. The electricity is working, but the tap water sometimes smells bad and becomes muddy. There is a possibility that the dam upstream may have been damaged by the heavy rains, and the water is likely to be cut off in the near future, and administrative broadcasts are calling for water conservation. There is still no prospect for the resumption of fishing. The vivid marks of the heavy rain damage still remain in the river near the fishing port still bears, including a large amount of driftwood.

AAR delivered 120 liters of bottled drinking water, 190 packages of Thai instant noodles, 5 bags of dried noodles (pho, 10 bags of Thai rice noodles), and 19 body wiping sheets as immediate needs. The trainees helped unload the goods with their strong arms and said with a smile, “Oh yes, this is what we wanted.”

Most of the surrounding areas have been flooded, and since the rains began to intensify, and it is said that the communication environment has been disrupted and Internet access has remained difficult. The Internet is a necessity for obtaining disaster-related information and keeping in touch with family back home, but the lack of it is causing them to become increasingly anxious.

AAR is in contact with local authorities and international exchange groups to help ensure that foreigners are not left out of disaster prevention information, such as water shortages. We would appreciate your cooperation for Heavy Rain in Noto Peninsula.