Japan Update
15/03/2011 9:35 pm
From Bryan Thompson, field worker
"As I write this (mid-morning Monday) I am in the middle of a very busy but calm command center for CRASH Japan. My role in leading the volunteer coordinators' team has been overwhelming. So many needs, and so many offers of help. Where to start? I've concentrated on trying to recruit a team of coordinators to handle all the volunteers who are likely to serve in the months to come. There is a sense of urgency in everything we do. The headline in the newspaper this morning estimated more than 20,000 have lost their lives.
"Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope (CRASH) is a network supporting Christians to do relief work in Japan and around the world. CRASH equips and prepares churches and missions to be there to help their communities when disasters strike and coordinates Christian volunteers to work with local ministries in the event of a disaster.
"In many areas there is already gas rationing and shortages of many items. There has been a 2nd explosion at the nuclear plant in Fukushima. Again, we are not near that area, and as far as we know it was not the core of the reactor that exploded, but some radiation is leaking. These things not only affect our daily lives, but they threaten to seriously hamper the relief and recovery efforts we are trying to coordinate.
"Four advance teams went out today to survey the situation in a number of areas. Those at the command center worked from 9am until after 6pm. Tomorrow promises to be an even busier day. We were grateful that the command center did not lose electric power today as expected, which would have seriously affected the work we were doing.
"I'm finishing this update as we watch the evening news, which has given the details of hundreds of thousands of people in shelters spread out over a very wide area, with many areas without adequate supplies to meet the needs of the people there. It was encouraging to see that 91 countries have offered to help Japan."
CRASH Japan's operation "Love on Japan" Disaster Relief Board (where messages can be posted and information shared).
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