Locations:
- Fukushima Prefecture: Date, Fukushima City, Minamisoma, Nihonmatsu, Soma
- Iwate Prefecture: Hanamaki, Ichinoseki, Kamaishi, Miyako, Ofunato, Otsuchi, Rikuzentakata, Tono, Yamada
- Miyagi Prefecture: Aobaku, Higashimatsushima, Ishinomaki, Iwanuma, Izumi, Kami, Kesennuma, Kurihara, Marumori, Minamisanriku, Miyagino, Natori, Onagawa, Osaki, Shibata, Shichigahama, Shiogama, Shiroishi, Tagajo, Taihaku, Taiwa, Tome, Wakabayashi, Watari
Website: http://www.aarjapan.gr.jp/english/
Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR JAPAN) is a non-governmental organization established in 1979 providing assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons, emergency assistance, assistance to persons with disabilities, mine action, action against infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and public awareness campaigns. AAR JAPAN operates with no political, religious, or ideological affiliation. AAR JAPAN has supported 55 countries and areas out of 15 offices in multiple countries.
Direct Relief has been providing support to AAR JAPAN since March 2011, including $800,000 in cash grants to fund two phases of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster relief and recovery efforts.
AAR JAPAN began its relief activities two days after the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan. Funding from Direct Relief was used in the immediate aftermath for the distribution of food and non-food items (NFI), mobile clinic services, soup kitchen services, and operating costs.
AAR JAPAN has been working in over 35 sites in areas most severely affected by the earthquake and tsunami: Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures.
All relief activities are conducted on official requests and with approvals of local governments. In many areas, telephone communication, electricity, gas, and water systems were still not available more than two months later, especially in Fukushima prefecture where the threat of radiation contamination is leading to back ups of supplies and assistance going into the areas close to the nuclear power plants, and is isolating citizens.
Special attention is paid to persons with disabilities (PWDs), to elderly people, and to the facilities supporting this population because these two groups of people tend to be left out of emergency assistance.
Read about grants to AAR JAPAN