The Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, hit by heavy rain, is in the midst of a “double disaster” following the earthquake in January. AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan) emergency teams are delivering relief supplies to temporary housing in the heavily damaged city of Wajima, in addition to providing food and other necessities. Here is a report from the field.

When the AAR emergency team entered Wajima City in late September, which was temporarily isolated after the Noto Peninsula earthquake, we found that the Suzuya River, a tributary of the Machino River, had overflowed, flooding the village with large amounts of sediment and driftwood and causing extensive damage. AAR emergency team arrived at temporary housing, bypassing roads that had been blocked by landslides and cave-ins, and delivered sweat wipes and disposable toilets to households with elderly resident with physical disability. The families told us, “We were so grateful for your help because we could not wipe his bodies to take care due to the continuous power outage and water cutoff.”

In the Awakura area, there is no electricity or water, making it difficult to shovel mud from flooded houses. AAR provided cleaning tools for mud shoveling to local dental clinics and other facilities, but with no electricity or water, shoveling mud that has washed into houses has been a difficult task. Residents who were affected by the disaster following the earthquake repeatedly stated that they were “heartbroken.”

Due to continued communication problems and poor accessibility in the affected areas, relief supplies have not been delivered sufficiently. We ask for your cooperation for Heavy Rain in Noto Peninsula.