Japan – How to Help
As the reality of the situation in Japan sinks in and the toll of dead, missing and injured people climbs higher, and as at least a couple of nuclear reactors seem in danger of releasing unknown quantities of radioactivity into the environment or even melting down, the only topic that seems fitting today is what we can do to help.
Here are some links for aid organizations and services that are setting up to try and help people locate missing loved ones:
Huffington Post. (some of the organizations listed here may be duplicated below, but seems like a pretty comprehensive list)
Salon.com – How You Can Help (another compendium)
Doctors Without Borders (this is one of the charities I donate to monthly, and think they’re among the best at what they do)
As Wendy B reminds us, it’s much more effective to send money to relief organizations with boots on the ground than to send shipments of clothing, blankets, food, etc.
If you know of any aid organizations that are working directly with the Japanese earthquake/tsunami relief efforts, please do give a link in the comments.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan.
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Thank you. Another way is through your local Japanese cultural association if your city has one. It’s a good way to forge community both locally and internationally and they know which delivery agencies are exemplary.
Very helpful, thank you.
this is helpful, thanks for posting.
Duchesse’s comment, too- good idea.
Thank you for posting this. I am just so saddend by this and hope that all of us will step up to the plate to donate something to help Japan.
Hello Pseu,
I’ve been looking for the same things. I checked with Medecins Sans Frontiers and their website says that they are involved in efforts with the Japanese government and are being funded through their general MSF funds but it is not possible to earmark donations to go to Japan relief funds. (I donate to them regularly as well, so I feel confident about their funds on all fronts.)
Another I found was this:
The Nippon Foundation/CANPAN
Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund found at the following link. It looks legit. Donations are made in yen.
http://members.canpan.info/kikin/products/detail.php?product_id=1080
A great idea to put it out there.
Duchesse, that is a very good idea. You will find that our local Japanese Cultural Association is not at all far from where you are moving (I know them mostly for great bazaars, with organic plantlets, but I’ll phone them about aid to Japan).
A downside of working with people from all over the world is that such disasters affect me viscerally.
I was thinking of pseu – and materfamilias – as people on the Pacific coast of North Amrica often have a lot of contact with Japanese culture and people.
MSF have sent staff to Japan, although usually they help “developing” countries.
This is utterly ghastly.
Oxfam are asking for donations http://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam_in_action/emergencies/japan-earthquake-tsunami-2011.html?pscid=ps_ggl_SL_Japan so I will probably donate through them. Lets spread the word
Thank you Pseu. Another excellent organization is Episcopal Relief & Development. They’ve opened a Japan Earthquake Response fund.
Thank you for your post. The images are heartbreaking!
Thank you for this.
We have a friend who is here in LA but his entire family is in Sendai.
it’s heartbreaking
Good suggestions from other commenters!
Instant help: inviting a visitor from Japan over for dinner tonight, she is here on a business trip and her whole familiy is in Tokyo right now. I hope to cheer her up a bit, we will cook and chat.
Such a good reminder.
Amen to that… I am so impressed with the citizens of Japan and the collective fortitude with which they are bearing this catastrophe.I hope some relief comes for them soon, and I hope everyone makes a financial contribution to help them through these terrible times. I feel so badly for the elderly in particular. The young who have survived have some resilience and time to recover from this, but no one should have to experience such devastation twice in their lifetime. Heaven give them the strength to bear this.