UNITE FOR CHILDREN

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Relief

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Relief (95th report)
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon talks with high school students in Fukushima Prefecture

[TOKYO, JAPAN, 8 August 2011]

On 7 August (Sunday), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took time during his visit to Japan to participate in an opinion exchange with high school students in Fukushima Prefecture. The event was planned in order to use the Secretary-General’s visit to Japan as an opportunity to relay the voices of children from Fukushima Prefecture, who currently face a diverse range of issues, to the rest of the world. The event got off to a pomp-filled start with a performance by the brass band of a high school from the Prefecture.

First, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered a strong message of encouragement to the children of the affected area. “Congratulations on Fukushima winning the first round in the Koshien tournament, and congratulations on Nadeshiko Japan winning the World Cup! It brings me pride as a fellow Asian. The Great East Japan Earthquake was a tremendously great disaster. However, the world and the United Nations are right behind you. There is no question that Japan can overcome this struggle. Gambaro, Fukushima!”

Chinatsu Oku speaks to the Secretary-General on behalf of Fukushima Prefecture high school students.

Next, on behalf of high school students in the affected areas of Fukushima Prefecture, Chinatsu Oku of Fukushima Minami High School appealed to the world for assistance, “We are now working harder than ever everyday to pull together our wisdom in search of a solution to the problems that lie before us. However, Fukushima’s problem is no longer only a problem for the people of Fukushima Prefecture. It is beyond question that our efforts to rejuvenate the prefecture will greatly impact the future of the world. I would like to thank United Nations Secretary-General for visiting us today, and express our hope for continued assistance from the United Nations in overcoming this crisis.”

Next, Minami Watanabe of Futaba High School also spoke on behalf of high school students from the prefecture about the complex emotions that everyone has gone through since the disaster.

“The time was 2:46 p.m. on 11 March. Up until this point I was wasn’t thinking about much, just living my life as normal. It was a pleasant day with no major problems. But then the earthquake hit, then the tsunami, and then the incident with the nuclear power station. And since then I haven’t been able to go home. My house is about 10 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Life has been rough since that day. And since then everyday I have asked my parents, ‘When can we go home?’

“Life at the shelter went by fast, but after about a month had passed I started to get anxious. I thought that other students where able to study as usual, while I was unable to go to school, left without even the tools to study, and that I would just get left behind. I am so thankful that I have been able to continue to attend Futaba High School as a satellite student since 9 May. This has allowed me to continue on living in a manner somewhat similar to life before the earthquake. Thanks to the teachers, I am able to take the same kind of high-level classes as before.

“We will never forget that this is all due to the cooperation and support of so many people. I never imagined that the day would come when I became a disaster victim myself. It left me unable to tell what was right and wrong.

“However, the disaster did teach me one thing. Living a normal life, going to school like a normal student and taking classes with your friends—the things that bring us the most happiness in life are the ‘normal’ things. The disaster also gave me the opportunity to think seriously about the future. It took a disaster to make be realize these things. I am happy that people around the world have provided a way for us to steer away from a hopeless future.

“I may never be able to return to the home where I lived comfortably for 17 years. I may never be able to see the friends that I said goodbye to, as I always did, on 11 March. But I am sure that wherever I go my friends at Futaba High School will always be there for me. I’m still not able to be positive all of the time, but I want to take these hardships, these days that I’ve spent in tears, and use them as lessons to help me become a strong person that can overcome any adversity.”

After the two students spoke, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon responded by saying, “Your words have moved me tremendously.” The 100 some high school students in attendance also appeared to be moved as they listened to the speeches.

Later, during a question and answer session, a student from Fukushima Minami High School asked the Secretary-General, “As the Secretary-General, what do you demand of high school students like us that are to be future leaders?” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered a powerful message in response, commenting, “It is the duty of the United Nations to exert every effort for people in the most unfortunate circumstances in the world. Japan is currently facing a trial of tremendous scale, but Japan is still one of the most advantaged countries in the world. A truly large number of people in the world suffer from situations where their most basic human rights are not protected. A large number of agencies, including UNICEF, who is in attendance today, are working to provide assistance to people suffering from various disasters. In the past two months alone, 30,000 children in the Horn of Africa have lost their lives. I hope that you all will broaden your horizons and think about what you can do together with the United Nations as future leaders.”

After the event was over, Chinatsu and Minami sounded reenergized as they told us how they felt after their speeches. “I feel uplifted. There are many people less fortunate than us in the world, so I want to study more and investigate ways that I can do something for the rest of the world.”

The Japan Committee for UNICEF is carrying out assistance for the children of Fukushima Prefecture that continue to face trying circumstance as a result of the disaster, such as through the “Let’s Play! The Outdoors Playtime Project” which provides children the opportunity to play and freely outdoors.

All photo credits: © Japan Committee for UNICEF

Current arrival status of relief supplies

Receiving
Prefecture
Type of Emergency
Supplies
Arrival
Date
Quantity Donating
Company
Comments
Miyagi Water 19 Mar. 12,288
bottles
VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Fukushima Water 22 Mar. 12,672
bottles
VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Miyagi Underwear for boys and girls 22 Mar. 200,000    
Iwate Underwear for boys and girls 23 Mar. 30,000    
Fukushima Water 23 Mar. 4,680
bottles
KIRIN MC DANONE WATERS Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Miyagi Children’s shoes 23 Mar. 10,000
pairs
   
Miyagi Children’s diapers 24 Mar. 80 packs P&G Japan  
Iwate Children’s underwear 24 Mar. 9,700    
Fukushima Water 24 Mar. 12,288
bottles
VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Iwate Shoes 26 Mar. 1,404 pairs Achilles Corporation  
Iwate Underwear for boys and girls 27 Mar. 28,266  
Iwate Boots 27 Mar. 7,462 pairs  
Iwate Wipes 28 Mar. 1,200 P&G Japan For babies
Miyagi Recreation kits
Early Childhood Development kits
2 Apr. 50 of each Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division
Iwate Recreation kits
Early Childhood Development kits
2 Apr. 50 of each Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division
Miyagi Book bags 6 Apr. 70 Nihon New Bag Chain
Iwate Book bags 6-7 Apr. 340 Seiban
Miyagi Schoolbags 8 Apr. 18,000 Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division
Iwate Schoolbags 8 Apr. 18,000 Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division
Miyagi Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) 8 Apr. 5,000
Iwate Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) 8 Apr. 5,000
Miyagi Minicar 8 Apr. 3 cars
Miyagi Nutritional supplements From early April 4,000 bottles
Fukushima Water 11 Apr. 1,536 bottles VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Miyagi Replenishments for recreation kits 12 Apr. 60 sets
Miyagi Miniature toy cars 12 Apr. Approx. 1,200 TAKARA TOMY
Sagamihara* Water 12 Apr. 12,288 bottles VanaH Co., Ltd. Two-liter plastic bottles
Miyagi Play mats 13 Apr. Two types; 80 of each type IKEA
Miyagi Drawing sets 13 Apr. 60 sets IKEA
Iwate Preschool-size chairs, tables and low tables 14 Apr. 75 chairs; 11 tables; 9 low tables Donated to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations
Miyagi Mopeds 15 Apr. 5
Iwate Notebooks and stationery sets for primary and junior high school students 15. Apr. 16,700 sets
Miyagi 183 computers; 57 copiers and fax machines; 61 printers 18-21 Apr. Distributed to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations
Fukushima Movable blackboards 21 Apr. 10
Fukushima Temporary toilets 22 Apr. 20
Iwate Geiger counters 28 Apr. 14 For schools in Soma City
Iwate Dressing room/ breastfeeding partition system 28 Apr. 21 sets
Saitama* Milk From late April Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City
Saitama* Yogurt From early May Danone Japan Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City
Iwate Color pencils (120 sets) and paint (240 sets) 13 May
Iwate Student lamps 14 May 15
Iwate Stationery sets 16 May 840 sets
Fukushima Lockers 16 May 22 sets For the Board of Education of Minamisoma City
Fukushima Computers 16 May 1 Ishikawa Town Board of Education
Miyagi 2 copiers; 2 computers; 2 printers May For Higashi-Matsushima Day-Care Center and Watari Day-Care Center
Iwate Water receiving tank, water purifier tank, water supply tank May construction May construction
Miyagi Solar-powered vaccine refrigerator 18 May
Fukushima Fans 30 May 112 Minamisoma City Board of Education
Fukushima Masks 30 May 100,000 Minamisoma City Board of Education
Iwate 1 copy machine 2 June
Saitama* Shoes 15 June 460 pairs Converse Footwear Co., Ltd.

-Number of UNICEF Children’s Mini Libraries distributed: Approximately 150,000 books to over 900 locations (as of 20 June 2011).
-Number of children that have participated in the UNICEF “Let’s Play! The Outdoors Playtime Project” in Fukushima Prefecture: Approximately 5,600 (as of 26 May)

*Areas receiving disaster victims.

*In certain cases some supplies may be taken from prefectural supply storage warehouses and distributed to shelters and disaster sites in other prefectures.
As of 9:00 a.m. on 17 June 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).