Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2007

Box 3. 20 Years of Japan Disaster Relief Teams

-Data for 20 years of international disaster relief- (as of August 2007)

The year 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the entry-into-force of the Law concerning Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief Teams ("JDR Law") in September 1987. In response to large-scale overseas disasters, Japan Disaster Relief Teams conduct search and rescue operations, provide treatment, and carry out rehabilitation activities as well as emergency activities to mitigate damage. A total of 93 JDR teams (as of November 2007) have been dispatched since the JDR Law came in force.
    When a large-scale disaster strikes, it often causes widespread human, material economic or environmental losses, which exceed the ability of the affected country to cope using its own resources. In response to such a disaster, the JDR is expected to promptly help as many disaster victims as possible. Given that the chance of a victim surviving decreases significantly after 72 hours following a disaster, a system is in place to dispatch JDR rescue teams within 24 hours and JDR medical teams within 48 hours after Japan receives a request of assistance from the government of an affected country. Japan, a country prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and technology on disaster relief.
    The JDR teams have helped assuage the pains of numerous disaster victims and to bring them a light of hope. For instance, the rescue team dispatched in response to the large earthquake in Algeria in May 2003 worked round the clock with dogged determination to rescue as many lives as possible. After 50 hours following the earthquake, while some overseas teams had stopped their activities, one JDR team member heard a faint voice coming out of the rubble of a collapsed hotel. Believing in the possibility of a survivor, the team searched under the rubble thoroughly and discovered a trapped man beneath the rubble. Working together with a Turkish team working nearby, the team subsequently succeeded in extricating the trapped, but still living, victim.
    The JDR medical team dispatched to El Salvador following the earthquake in January 2001 handled the situation with a similar attitude. Not only did the team do their best to save as many lives as possible with limited resources, but they also listened intently to the stories of the patients they attended to. The patients included children who were less fortunate. One day, a child gave a team member a piece of candy. Candies are of extreme value to those children, and this was a special token of gratitude to the JDR medical team. One year later, a monitoring team visited the sites for follow-up and interviewed the director of the local hospital. As the head of the local hospital gave high praise to the meticulous treatment provided by the medical team, not least for earning the trust of patients, a year later a researcher that visited the site for follow-up research mentioned that he was asked numerous times about whether or not there were any more Japanese doctors, and even by patients that the team had already been discharged.
    When the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck Japan in January 1995, offers of assistance were made by 77 countries regions as well as international organizations, including less affluent ones.

An introduction to persons involved with past international disaster relief activities

Dr. Yasufumi Asai, Chairman and Professor, Department of Traumatology and Critical Care Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine (Dispatched in December 2004 in response to the Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami)

Among my experiences as a member of Japan Disaster Relief medical team, my time serving as part of the response to the Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami in December 2004 was the most memorable one. I was assigned as the deputy leader of a medical team in the Banda Aceh. I was overwhelmed by the sight of the devastation; the great number of dead bodies wrapped in plastic bags lining the sidewalks left me in shambles. Furthermore, we had to be extra cautious about our safety while conducting activities in the area. Our activities included treating external wounds, caring for the psychological wellbeing of disaster victims, as well as conducting mobile clinics to reach out to the remote areas. We had no time for rest as tremendous stress persisted. The medical team was made up of medical volunteers. The understanding of employers and families, and strong domestic support make this form of overseas emergency assistance possible. The knowledge and experience gained through JDR is, in turn, applied when a domestic disaster occurs, as the JDR medical team participants also serve as a core of Disaster Medical Teams (DMAT) in Japan.

(Photo: JICA)

(Photo: JICA)

International Emergrncy Relief System

Kunihiko Sato: Mobile Rescue Unit, Disaster Prevention Office, Security Division, Metropolitan Police Department; Assistant Police Inspector, Metropolitan Police Department (Dispatched in October 2005 in response to the great earthquake disaster in Pakistan)

"My daughter is trapped under the rubble. Please save her." A father, with a shovel in hand, made this emotional plea to me in a village in Northern Pakistan in the aftermath of the large-scale earthquake. Immediately our team searched for his daughter. Although we only managed to retrieve her dead body from the rubble, the father thanked us for our efforts. I will never forget, for as long as I live, the father crying and thanking the Japanese rescue team for its efforts. Currently, I am based in Tokyo attached to the division in charge of disaster prevention, and I often relate my experiences in Pakistan to educate young rescue workers.

Satoshi Abe: Fire Lieutenant, Ushigome Fire Station, Tokyo Fire Department (Fire Rescue Task Forces, Eighth Fire District Headquarters at time of dispatch) (Dispatched in December 2004 in response to the Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami and again in October 2005 in response to the great earthquake disaster in Pakistan)

I was involved in international disaster relief activities as part of the Fire Rescue Task Forces deployed, under JDR, in response to the Great Sumatra Earthquake and the great earthquake disaster in Pakistan. In the first case, I was dispatched to Thailand which suffered heavy casualties including Japanese nationals. I remember the tense atmosphere on the plane for Thailand from Narita with families of the victims on board. Our operations in Thailand were tough and demanding in high temperatures and humidity. We worked together in undertaking relief efforts. I comprehended the ferocity of a tsunami. At the time of great earthquake disaster in Pakistan, I conducted search activities, camping deep in the mountains. Training on the Mobile Unit includes rescue operations conducted in confined space, preparing for disasters causing large-scale structural collapse, given that buckling buildings are anticipated at disaster sites. This training proved to be extremely useful during actual rescue operations both in Thailand and in Pakistan. Moreover, we were also able to apply the knowledge and experience gained by the joint training of medical doctors and firefighting teams. My experience in helping people in need through JDR serves as a strong motivation for continuing my work as a firefighter.

(Photo: Tokyo Fire Department)

(Photo: Tokyo Fire Department)

Go Ichimiya: (Leader) Fifth Special Rescue Team, Haneda Special Rescue Station, Japan Coast Guard (Dispatched in response to the great earthquake disaster in Pakistan in October 2005)

While in Pakistan, I also worked as a translator to interview locals to gather information on survivors. A young person told me, "My family has been trapped and there is a bad smell coming from the area. Please save them." I did my best to explain to him that, as we want to save as many people as possible, we have to prioritize our activities. I wanted to help him, but we were swamped with similar requests at the time. Although the youth wished me good luck in the end, I will never forget his tearful look. After that, the Japanese team managed to retrieve three bodies from the rubble, but could not save their lives. With this pain remaining in my heart, the next time a large-scale disaster occurs, I am determined to get to the site as swiftly as possible and save as many survivors as possible.

(Photo: JICA)

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