50 days from Tsunami in Japan, it is a long road to recovery for those affected: UNITED SIKHS Volunteers continue to serve at relief shelters in Japan.

50 days from Tsunami in Japan, it is a long road to recovery for those affected: UNITED SIKHS Volunteers continue to serve at relief shelters in Japan

Highlights:

UNITED SIKHS serve hot meals in shelters at Tsukuba International Congress Center and Kesennuma Sogo Taikikan Center. The threat of a worsening radiation situation in the Fukushima Prefecture remains a worrisome risk to volunteers and care providers. Chiba, Japan: 50 days from the Earthquake and Tsunami, 127, 817 persons remained in evacuation centers in the three worst affected prefectures (i.e. Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima), still displaced by the disaster. Overall, the quake and tsunami is believed to have killed nearly 26,000 people, though only about 14,500 bodies have been found. Many likely were swept out to sea and will never be found.

As people come to terms with their loss of loved one’s, homes, and livelihood, a reminder that they are not alone and that people across the globe feel their pain, helps the healing process. UNITED SIKHS volunteers, with the guidance of local authorities, have traveled to shelters with this message by binging nutritious hot meals and relief supplies. They served hot meals to 500 people at the shelter Tsukuba International Congress Center located in Tsukuba City and called the Ibaraki-prefecture. People in this shelter came from the Fukushima and Miyagi Prefecture.

For pictures of relief work by UNITED SIKHS volunteers in March/April 2011, Click here.

The volunteers also went to the Kesennuma Sogo Taikukan in Kesennuma city with more than 1200 people at the shelter. They distributed soap, supplies for babies, sanitary items, garments, and snacks . The UNITED SIKHS volunteers are liaising with Akita-Ken Government Officers, Red Cross Japan, Saitam-Ken DMAT, and volunteers from the Kesennuma Senior High School Volunteers to provide relief services.

Gursharanjeet Kaur, coordinating relief efforts with two other volunteers for UNITED SIKHS in Chiba, Japan, said “With the support of the Japanese Sikh community and Sangat world-wide our operations are on-going. We thank every individual and organization who has contributed to this cause”. The UNITED SIKHS Aid team procures all relief items locally with the donations from the Sangat. Additional relief items will be procured and supplied based on assessment of needs by the local team in Chiba.

A “Thank You” Note from Kesennuma city shelter Chief

We encourage you to make monetary donations so we can continue to serve hot meals from time to time at the shelters. In these hard times for our Japanese brethren who continue to live in shelters for an extended period, “Langar” prepared and served with love by the volunteers, brings a healing touch.

How you can help: 

UNITED SIKHS is now collecting monetary donations only. To donate please Click Here. https://unitedsikhs.org/donate/. For more information on how you can assist please reach out to the UNITED SIKHS office closest to you at https://unitedsikhs.org/contact-us/.