DHA-GENEVA 95/0105
1. UPDATED OFFICIAL DAMAGE FIGURES
ARE AS FOLLOWS:
| DEAD | 5,291 |
| MISSING | 6 |
| INJURED | 34,492 |
| HOUSES TOTALLY DESTROYED | 83,767 |
| HOUSES HALF DESTROYED | 62,552 |
| HOUSES PARTLY DAMAGED | 22,729 |
| TOTAL DAMAGED HOUSES | 169,048 |
| DAMAGED PUBLIC BUILDINGS | 164 |
| OTHER DAMAGED BUILDINGS | 214 |
| NUMBER OF FIRES | 531 |
| ROADS DAMAGED AND BLOCKED | 1,257 |
2. COMMUTER TRAIN SERVICE TO KOBE BEING RESTORED AND ALL LINES EXPECTED TO RESUME OPERATIONS BY BEGINNING MAY. SHUTTLE BUSES NOW COVERING THIS AREA. SHINKANSEN EXPRESS TRAIN SERVICE IS OUT BETWEEN OSAKA AND HIMEJI AND WILL RESUME SECOND WEEK OF MAY. COMMERCIAL AIRLINES TEMPORARILY OPERATING ADDITIONAL DAILY FLIGHTS TO COVER THESE NEEDS. REMOVAL OF DEBRIS AND EMERGENCY REPAIR OF HIGHWAYS/ARTERY ROADS PROCEEDING. TWO ROUTES WHICH SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE PRESENTLY CLOSED. SEVERAL HIGHWAYS/ARTERY ROADS ARE DESIGNATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
3. 70 HELICOPTERS AND 167 AIRPLANES BEING USED DAILY FOR EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION. 60 GOVT SHIPS AND 100 PRIVATE FERRIES ARE SHIPPING RELIEF ITEMS BY SHUTTLE SERVICE.
4. ELECTRICITY AND TELEPHONE SERVICE TO ALL EXISTING HOUSEHOLDS AND OFFICES HAS RESUMED. 4,500 MOBILE TELEPHONES AND 20 LAND-EARTH STATIONS HAVE BEEN LOANED OUT FREE OF CHARGE. WATER SUPPLY HAS BEEN RESTORED TO 782,000 HOUSEHOLDS, LEAVING 238,000 WAITING. ENTIRE WATER SUPPLY EXPECTED TO BE RESTORED BY END FEBRUARY. GAS SUPPLY HAS BEEN RESTORED TO 179,000 HOUSEHOLDS, LEAVING 678,000 WAITING.
5. 226,000 PEOPLE PRESENTLY HOUSED IN EVACUATION CENTERS. 152 TEMPORARY MEDICAL CLINICS HAVE BEEN SET UP IN THESE CENTERS. 5,216 DOCTORS AND NURSES MOBILIZED FROM ALL OVER JAPAN WORKING TO CARE FOR AFFECTED POPULATION. JAPANESE RED CROSS MEDICAL TEAMS TOURING SMALL EVACUATION CENTERS AND GIVING HEALTH CONSULTATIONS TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE SETTLED BACK IN THEIR HOUSES.
6. 495 TEMPORARY PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND VULNERABLE FAMILIES MOVED IN. IN ADDITION TO 30,000 TEMPORARY HOUSING UNITS PLANNED, 10,000 MORE WILL BE BUILT. 26,500 EXISTING PUBIC HOUSING UNITS AND 1,290 GOVT LODGING FACILITIES HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE. 6,369 FAMILIES MOVED IN.
7. SELF-DEFENCE PERSONNEL HELPING LOCAL GOVT REMOVE/TRANSPORT DEBRIS. ONE RECLAMATION SITE IN OSAKA BAY IDENTIFIED FOR DISPOSAL OF DEBRIS AND ONE LOADING SITE IN PORT OF KOBE AND SPECIAL BARGES ARRANGED FOR MASSIVE DISPOSAL.
8. YESTERDAY PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCED FURTHER PACKAGE MEASURES TO ASSIST AFFECTED POPULATION AND SPEED UP RECONSTRUCTION, INCL. FURTHER CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPORARY PUBLIC HOUSING, SPECIAL LOW-OR ZERO-INTEREST LOANS FOR BUSINESSES, ETC. ALSO ANNOUNCED WERE APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO ADVISE ON RECONSTRUCTION PLANS AND FORMATION OF MINISTERIAL-LEVEL RECONSTRUCTION HEADQUARTERS.
9. MASSIVE RELIEF MATERIALS ARE POURING INTO LOCAL GOVT OFFICES AND TEMPORARY STOCKYARDS ARE STILL FULL. DUE TO LOGISTICAL CONSTRAINTS IN SORTING/DISTRIBUTING RELIEF ITEMS, LOCAL GOVTS ARE ASKING CONTRIBUTORS TO SWITCH FROM IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS TO CASH DONATIONS FOR LOCAL RELIEF FUND OR JAPANESE RED CROSS RELIEF FUND.
10. JAPANESE RED CROSS SOCIETY, WITH PUBLIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION, HAS ORGANIZED FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN IN JAPAN FOR AFFECTED PEOPLE. TO DATE USD 353.2 MILLION HAS BEEN DONATED BY INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES.
11. ALTHOUGH JAPANESE GOVT HAS NOT ASKED FOR INTERNATIONAL AID, TO DATE 71 COUNTRIES/IGOS AND 2 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (DHA AND WHO) HAVE OFFERED VOLUNTARY ASSISTANCE. GOVT EXPRESSES DEEP GRATITUDE FOR ALL THIS GOOD WILL.
12. TO DATE, DELIVERY TO AFFECTED POPULATION HAS BEEN ARRANGED FOR IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM AUSTRALIA, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, CANADA, CHINA, EGYPT, FINLAND, GERMANY, INDIA, INDONESIA, ITALY, JORDAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, MEXICO, MONGOLIA, NEW ZEALAND, ROMANIA, RUSSIA, SLOVENIA, SRI LANKA, THAILAND, TUNISIA, UK AND USA. CASH DONATIONS FOR LOCAL RELIEF FUND HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM BELGIUM, CAMBODIA, DJIBOUTI, TONGA AND VANUATU.
13. JAPANESE RED CROSS SOCIETY HAS NOT APPEALED FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE BUT HAS RECEIVED VOLUNTARY CASH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GOVTS OF IRELAND, NETHERLANDS AND USA AS WELL AS FROM RED CROSS SOCIETIES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CAMBODIA, CHINA, CYPRUS, HONG KONG, INDONESIA, DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, AND PHILIPPINES.
14. THAILAND SENT MEDICAL TEAM OF DOCTORS WITH JAPANESE MEDICAL LICENSES AND SPEAKING FLUENT JAPANESE. SWITZERLAND AND FRANCE SENT SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS.
15. NUMEROUS GOVTS, SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS AND NGOS HAVE EXPRESSED WISH TO VISIT AFFECTED SITES ON FACT-FINDING MISSIONS. HOWEVER, SINCE MOST HOTELS IN AND AROUND AFFECTED AREAS BEING USED TO HOUSE MOST-VULNERABLE FAMILIES, LOCAL GOVTS ARE ASKING THESE TEAMS TO POSTPONE VISIT UNTIL IMMEDIATE RELIEF PHASE HAS SETTLED DOWN. FURTHERMORE, THEY DO NOT HAVE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO ARRANGE FOR THESE VISITS NOW.
16. THE INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AT UNIV. OF TOKYO HAS OPENED INFORMATION CENTER FOR SCIENTISTS ABROAD. IT IS PROVIDING PRIMARY INFORMATION ON SURVEYS BEING CONDUCTED AND MAY ASSIST IN OBTAINING FURTHER DATA ON THIS EARTHQUAKE. IT MAY BE CONTACTED THROUGH E-MAIL, KOBENET AT INCEDE.IIS.U-TOKYO.AC.JP.
17. WITH AGREEMENT OF GOVT, DHA-GENEVA IS PREPARING MISSION TO ASSESS INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO THIS EARTHQUAKE.
18. THIS WILL BE LAST REPORT ON THIS DISASTER UNLESS THERE ARE UNFORESEEN DEVELOPMENTS.
TELEPHONE: +41-22-917-1234
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY, TELEPHONE: +41-22-917-2010
DESK OFFICER: S. NISHIKAWA, DIRECT TEL: +41-22-917-3131
TELEX: 414242 DHA CH
FAX: +41-22-917-0023
ELECTRONIC MAIL: UNIENET DIALCOM 141:DHAGVA
DPR 310 JPN
