Save the Children launches appeal for £1 million for children in Japan

Source: Save the Children

Date: 13 Mar 2011

As the full extent of the devastation left by Friday's earthquake and Tsunami become clear, Save the Children launches an appeal for £1 million to help support and protect the children of Japan.

Recent reports show several villages now under water with at least one city completely destroyed. Due to the fears of an explosion near the nuclear plant, 215,000 people are reported to have been evacuated and to have spent the night without electricity and water. The total number of casualties has not yet been determined and many areas of destruction have still not been reached due to devastated infrastructure in the aftermath of the disaster.

Steve McDonald, leading Save the Children's emergency response in Japan said, "Children in Japan have survived through a major quake, a lethal Tsunami and some have even lived through fires and fears of explosions. We know from experience that, especially with the ongoing aftershocks still being felt here and fears of another Tsunami, children will be terrified and desperately in need of structured help and care. From today, Save the Children will be scaling up so that we can help provide that care and reduce the long term negative effects that such a chronic disaster can leave on children in their formative years. Without financial help, we simply won't be able to reach these children fast enough."

Save the Children has launched the appeal for £1 million to do the following:

- Deliver psychosocial support to help overcome the shock and stress that the disaster and devastation left in its aftermath will have dealt children in Japan

- Set up child friendly spaces to provide a protective environment where children can spend time with other children and trained teachers. This service also allows parents much needed time that they can dedicate to investigating food sources, work, accommodation and locating other friends and family

- Monitor the nuclear power plant & prepare contingency plans for any future changes

Save the Children has staff in Tokyo and heading to Sendai in Japan. Working with the Japanese government's very sophisticated response system already in place, the charity has deployed teams to the most affected areas between Miyagi Prefecture and Tokyo to assess the situation for children and ensure that children's needs are prioritized.

To donate towards this appeal, and help deliver much needed protection and support for children in Japan, please go to www.savethechildren.org.uk OR call 0207 012 6400