Caritas Japan launches national donation campaign

(March 14, 2011) Caritas Japan has launched a national donation campaign and is networking closely with dioceses to support those affected by the earthquake and tsunami which hit the country on 11th March. The 9.0 magnitude earthquake is the strongest in Japan’s history. But it was the 30ft high tsunami which caused much of the devastation, washing away towns and infrastructure. Bishop Isao Kikuchi, president of Caritas Japan said they received many emails from all continents, filled with words of compassion and prayer. “We are very grateful for this solidarity. We believe that aid activity is needed, but prayer is also important in such a situation,” he said. Caritas Japan is in contact with the diocese of Sendai, one of the worst affected areas. It is preparing to start providing relief with a focus on those with no access to public services. Caritas Japan does not intend to develop a large-scale response operation to this disaster, but it will be working closely with the affected dioceses and other organisations to support vulnerable people affected by this disaster. Caritas Japan says it will concentrate its effort much more for the rehabilitation phase with a big focus on providing moral and psychological support to those deeply affected by the disaster.