Dear friends,

Almost 2 weeks have passed since the terrible earthquakes and Tsunami that have brought so much destruction and anxieties to various provinces of the North East of Japan, mainly Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.

As of today, 8,649 people have been killed and the whereabouts of over 18,000 persons are still unknown. Besides this, almost 338,000 people are in temporary shelters, safe schools and other public buildings. They are suffering from severe cold weather, lack of water and food, as well as of toilets. There is no privacy and there are many persons of age, sick persons in those shelters. Medical staff is much lacking.

Certainly the material damage is enormous and mental and spiritual care is in great need. Added to all this there is a mess in the nuclear reactors of the big power plants of Fukushima, leaking of radioactivity.

Anyway I know that mass media, TV, Internet are full of images for you to realise what has happened and what is going on now. Since people from abroad, willing to do something and collect funds, have approached me and our social center, here is a way for you to act.

We have a Bank account opened to receive donation money for the earthquake victims.

Together with others I started, several years ago, a group called “MUSUBI NO KAI” (Solidarity Association) that has produced a small school for migrant workers and their children in the outskirts of Tokyo. The Bank account belongs to that association. In case you are willing to cooperate with funds for the earthquake victims you can send them to us there.

Name:                      MUSUBI NO KAI REPRESENTATIVE Ando Isamu, Tokyo, Japan
Bank:                       MIZUHO BANK Ltd. ADACHI BRANCH (312)
Account No.              8045259
BIC:                         MHBKJPJT mentioning “earthquake victims”

Following your desires we will channel the funds, either (1) to the Catholic diocese of SENDAI or (2) to citizens’ organizations (reliable NGOs) that are starting to work with the quake victims, sending volunteers and goods or preparing to build temporary shelters.

This is all we can do at this moment.

Best personal regards and thank you all,

Ando Isamu, SJ Jesuit Social Center Migrant Desk Tokyo, Japan

Tel.+81-3-5215-1844 / Fax +81-3-5215-1845
http://www.kiwi-us.com/~selasj/
Jesuit Refugee Service Japan