Japan Press Weekly

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2012 September 12 - 18 [GREAT EAST JAPAN DISASTER]

Delay in post-quake recovery affects victims’ health

An Akahata survey result shows that delay in recovery from the 3.11 disaster and anxiety regarding the future are having a harmful impact on the mental and physical health of disaster victims.

Akahata reporters met with 300 disaster victims in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures to ask about their actual situation after the 3.11 quake and tsunami that hit the area 18 months ago. Akahata conducted the survey four times and the last survey was in March, one year after the disaster. The 300 victims surveyed included 117 from Iwate, 107 from Miyagi, and 76 from Fukushima.

Among the 300 respondents, about 40% said that they were experiencing bad health conditions. The cause of this may be attributed to the slow steps being taken in improvement of the environment surrounding the disaster victims.

Rebuilding of individual’s homes remains grim as 76% replied they have difficulty in rebuilding their homes.

Regarding employment and businesses, the core of the post-disaster recovery, there has been very little progress.

About 30% of the respondents are unemployed. In Fukushima, the figure is 60%. About 75% of farmers and those who were engaged in fishing businesses said that they are still struggling to restore their businesses. That rate in Fukushima was 96%, almost the same as the previous survey in March.

Under these circumstances, about 90% of the disaster victims surveyed said that they need full support from the national government to reestablish their lives and businesses. They in particular demanded strengthening of support for rebuilding homes, creation of job opportunities, and business operations as well as financial support for medical services.

Meanwhile, 94% of the respondents said that an increase in the consumption tax rate will deal a heavy blow to their already precarious lives.