This is a guest post from Charles Williams, our editorial manager:
I’ve just got off a conference call with the Japan Red Cross, who shared with us some headline figures about the disaster and their response to it. Some of them are staggering. All figures are approximate and will no doubt change quickly, but this is a snapshot of the current situation.
The disaster
-2,000 people confirmed dead
-10,000 more people expected to be confirmed dead
-2,000 people injured
-530,000 people displaced, staying in 2,500 evacuation centres, such as schools and public halls
-24,000 people still completely isolated and cannot be reached
-1.2 million homes without power
-1.4 million homes without water
-4,700 destroyed houses
-50,000 damaged houses
-582 roads cut off
-32 bridges destroyed
The Japan Red Cross has a well-defined role in Japan’s emergency plans, providing first aid and emergency healthcare services, as well as distributing relief items. It is a large, well-funded organisation and is coping admirably with the extent of the disaster. Its involvement makes up part of a wider, co-ordinated response, including central and local government, emergency services and national defence forces.
Japan Red Cross overview
-47 ‘chapters’, or branches, across Japan
-212 blood centres
-2 million volunteers
-85 medical teams deployed so far, including 735 staff members
-65,000 blankets distributed to date
-1,400 entries made on website launched to help people trace family members
Photo credit: IFRC
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Hi Morag,
Thanks for your comment. You are of course right about the guidance and we’ve replaced the image. I would say that we don’t know what context it was taken in and we would assume Japan Red Cross workers are compliant with all guidance. However, out of any context, it is potentially misleading, as you say.
To be clear, we are not accepting any goods or materials, such as breast milk substitute, to be sent to Japan
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Morag, given the horrendous nature of this tragedy, the suffering being endured by this wonderful nation (yes, I know it well because my son lives there!!!), I am amazed and offended that the only feedback you can give to this most professional and respected charity, The Red Cross, is about bottle feeding a baby. How pedantic – and quite unnecessary. Red Cross, keep up your most excellent work, and help get this proud nation back on its feet!
This is the first time i have donated to the redcross, Only down to the connection with Nissan UK. Keep up the great work. Can someone please tell me why there is so much fuss over powdered milk!!!
I would have thought in that sort of situation, if it kept me alive i would drink gallons.
I am Japanese who has lived and worked in the U.K. for many years The comment’s made by Morag in the circumstances saddens me. The (pedantic!) comments are unnecessary in this emergency situation. I feel great relief to see the photograph of the Red Cross worker feeding a Japanese baby in Ishimaki hospital and that they are trying their best to look after the children affected by this disaster As far as I know, we do not accept food support from outside of country at the moment so how can we be sure there is even an issue here? Morag’s pedantic comments are therefore unfair, unhelpful and distracting! So, please lighten up! And, returning focus to what is really important…. Well done to the Red Cross for their excellent work. Thank goodness for people like the red cross lady in the picture for making the worked a little better…
I find it extraordinary that Morag Davidson deems it necessary to make such a fuss about a bottle fed baby. I would like to know how she knows that this is not breast milk in the bottle anyway? Surely the really important thing is that the baby is being looked after and well fed. It is sad that this woman can not see the good work that is being carried out during this terrible crisis, and recognise the amazing contribution of this organisation. It is easy to make such a useless comment from a desk so far away.
Astounding! My prayers are with everyone.
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