Japan Press Weekly

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2016 April 27 - May 10 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Koike delivers donations to disaster-hit Mashiki Town

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on April 28 delivered a total of nine million yen in donations that the JCP collected at various locations to the local governments of Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto City, and Mashiki Town which suffered serious damage from major earthquakes of magnitude 7 on the Richter scale.

At the Mashiki Town office which moved to a temporary location due to the quake damage, Koike handed a portion of the donation to Town Mayor Nishimura Hironori.

Pointing out, “Evacuees, especially elderly people, are overwhelmed by fatigue both physically and mentally,” the town mayor asked Koike that he demand support from the central government that includes the construction of temporary housing units. The mayor also said, “Many disaster victims lost their jobs. So, they need long-term assistance such as support to find a job and a place to live.”

Koike in reply said, “Considering the severity of the disaster damage, it is the national authorities’ responsibility to make every possible effort to relieve disaster victims. The JCP will urge the government to take necessary measures without delay.”

At the Kumamoto City government office building, Koike met with City Mayor Onishi Kazufumi. The mayor said that as the aftershocks continue, it is impossible to forecast when the recovery of the infrastructure will be achieved, which is causing difficulty in the cleanup and disposal of disaster debris.

In the meeting with Koike, a prefectural government official said that the Abe government designated a series of strong earthquakes mainly in Kumamoto as a disaster of extreme severity eligible for special assistance, but the official added that the main focus of the assistance would be placed on public works projects.

Koike was accompanied by JCP member of the House of Councilors Kami Tomoko and JCP local assemblypersons.

Past related article:
> JCP collects donations for disaster victims in Kyushu [April 18, 2016]