Friday, April 15, 2011

Other Japanese dioceses send people to help in disaster-affected areas.


From ACNS-

The overall impact of earthquake and tsunami according to the government has been:

Death: about 13,200 people
Missing: about 14,300 people
Displaced: about 167,000 people
Totally demolished homes: 52,800 homes

Most damage has been caused by the tsunami rather than earthquake itself. In addition we are facing the potential impact of nuclear radiation caused by malfunction of the nuclear power plant. We are experiencing many aftershocks with some of them causing more damage to already weakened structures.
You can learn more about the scale of this disaster in the media. I, however, will concentrate here on how our churches have been affected and how responding to the needs of those affected, including those who are not Anglicans.

Except in a few places the structural damage to churches and related institutions in the diocese of Tohoku and Kita Kanto is relatively minor. I can report that, miraculously, the tsunami did very little damage to buildings.

In Tohoku diocese Sendai Christ Church building was badly damaged by the earthquake and not the tsunami although parts of the city of Sendai along the coastal line were destroyed by the tsunami. The church building has been designated as unsafe. Therefore services have been held in the parish hall. All other churches in Tohoku diocese have avoided damage from the tsunami because they are located far enough from the shore or on higher ground. They have, however, suffered varying levels of earthquake damage, including cracked or fallen walls and windows, damaged ceilings, broken furniture, etc. None are totally demolished. Many churches in Tohoku diocese have kindergartens attached. Some of the parents of the children who attend these report that they have lost their homes, shops, stores and farmland.

More here-

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/4/15/ACNS4846

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