Urgent Rescue for Kyushu Japan Floods 2020

For more than a week, Japan has been battered by floods driven by torrential rains, spurring widespread evacuations and the deaths of at least 58 people by Wednesday. Many people remained missing. In southern Japan, the death toll continued to rise as rescue workers performed more search-and-rescue operations. The authorities lowered rainfall warnings for the region but said the threat of further flooding and mudslides remained. We need your help.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said that 49 victims had come from riverside towns in Kumamoto Prefecture. In Kuma village in Kumamoto Prefecture, dozens of residents took shelter under a roofed structure in a park with no walls or floor. The village office’s electricity and communications were cut. We are seeking your help in providing emergency items to provide for immediate needs.

The Land Ministry recorded at least 71 landslides across 12 prefectures, according to Kyodo News. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government would double rescue and relief personnel to 80,000.

Disasters are common during Japan’s rainy season. In July 2018, more than 200 people, about half of them in the Hiroshima area, died from heavy rain and flooding in southwestern Japan. The country is also prone to being hit by typhoons: About 100 people died last October when Typhoon Hagibis, the largest storm to reach Japan in decades, struck the country’s northeast.

With the provision of emergency supplies, thousands of displaced people will have their food, water, health, and sheltering needs met. This will alleviate those immediate concerns and allow the beneficiaries to plan the rebuilding of their homes, businesses, and communities.