• Nearly half a million people impacted, Nuclear crisis rating increased
• Relief supplies for personal hygiene and to help keep warm are top priority
• First consignment of personal hygiene products delivered by UNITED SIKHS Aid team in Chiba to the Matsudo City Office.

CHIBA, JAPAN: After nine days without heat, electricity, running water, regular meals or word from their loved ones, people affected by the Tsunami are hungry and frustrated. The situation is tense but under control. The humanitarian crisis is eroding confidence of the people.
The following is the report from ground zero of the impact:

• Severity rating of the nuclear crisis raised to level 5 from 4 on the seven-level INES international scale,  putting it on a par with the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. Chernobyl was a 7 on that scale.
  
• No plans yet to expand the evacuation area beyond 30 km at this point. Japan’s nuclear agency said the radiation level at the plant was as high as 20 millisieverts per hour. The limit for workers involved in emergencies was 100 millisieverts but it has been raised to 250 for those handling the incident.
  
• Nearly 8,649 people have been confirmed killed in the quake and tsunami. Another 13,262 people are missing with many feared dead.
  
• More than 380,000 evacuees live in shelters; 256,000 homes without electricity; 1.5 million homes lack running water.

While the Governments work on long term plans, we need to work with the local teams to help people regain the strength to start life afresh. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reports that weather conditions have worsened in the areas most affected which is affecting distribution of relief supplies. More than 350,000 evacuees continue to endure cold weather at shelters in 16 prefectures, including Tokyo,as blankets and other desperately needed relief supplies start to meet the demand.