[TOKYO, Japan, 8 April 2011]
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| UNICEF schoolbags scheduled to be distributed to children at school opening and entrance ceremonies. |
The first entrance and opening ceremonies for schools in the disaster area of the Great East Japan Earthquake were scheduled to be held today in Onagawa Town, Miyagi prefecture. However, the ceremonies have been postponed after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Miyagi Prefecture last night.
Onagawa Town was one of the most affected areas hit by the 11 March earthquake. Now, various local groups are expressing their eagerness to reopen schools as quickly as possible. The education board, for instance, has even decided to prioritize education for children over other issues. Based on this support, the Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU) has been working around the clock to prepare for the entrance and opening ceremonies for these schools.
Due to continuing blackouts, it was impossible to notify parents about the postponement of the opening and entrance ceremonies, so the teachers split up and paid personal visits to all of the children’s homes to inform them of the delay. Some children cried upon hearing the news.
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
Sadaji Endo, the head of the board of education in Onagawa Town, has been working together with JCU in making preparations for reopening schools. “It is very unfortunate that we were forced to postpone the opening and entrance ceremonies. I hope to hold the ceremonies as soon as possible, once we have ensured the safety of the children,” he says.
JCU has been preparing schoolbags and supplies for the children of the disaster area while coordinating with the board of education and teachers. UNICEF staff member Miho Fukuhara had been staying at Onagawa Daini Primary School and preparing for today’s ceremonies together with teachers and volunteers when the earthquake hit last night. She told us about what she experienced:
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| UNICEF staff member Miho Fukuhara. |
“The school is located in an elevated area, but we were concerned about the earthquake affecting the school building, so we evacuated and waited outside. Aftershocks continued for some time. I had been working so hard with other volunteers towards reopening the school, so it really is too bad that the ceremonies were postponed. We will continue using Child Friendly Spaces and other tools to provide children with psychological assistance until the schools reopen.”
Onagawa Town education board head Sadaji Endo also commented that, “I have never been as thankful to UNICEF as I am today. They are working so hard to ensure that schools reopen.”
In special meeting with the principal today, an official tentative date was decided for the reopening of schools in Onagawa Town. If things go smoothly schools are scheduled to reopen on 11 April.
| 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 |
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| Miyagi | RChildren’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 |
*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 4 April 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).