Emergency Assistance from Japan for the Earthquake Disaster in Southeastern Iran (Bam)

February 2004

1. Overview of the earthquake

(1) On December 26, 2003, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale occurred in the city of Bam, Province of Kerman in southeastern Iran. An area of 10 kilometers around the city of Bam suffered damage from this earthquake, with 80-100% of the buildings in the old city and 60% in the new city destroyed. The inflicted damage amounts to approximately a current total of 30,000 deaths and approximately 16,000 injured.

(2) In Iran, under the leadership of President Mohammad Khatami, the government and the private sector are cooperating to rescue and assist the injured and other victims of the earthquake.

2. Emergency assistance from Japan for the earthquake disaster in Iran

Japan has implemented / is implementing the following activities for the assistance of the injured and other victims of the earthquake disaster in Bam and for the reconstruction of the region.

(1) Dispatch of the Japan Disaster Relief medical Team

Dispatch a total of 23 personnel to Iran, including 4 doctors, 7 nurses and 4 medical staff and others.

On December 28, the first group of 5 personnel arrived in Iran, shortly followed by the remaining 18 personnel on December 30. The team started medical activities on January 1, and provided medical care to over 100 patients daily. The number of patients subsequently increased; over 200 patients rushed to the clinic on the January 6 and 7, the last day of service.
Over a week long period of service, a total of 1,051 patients were examined. The team provided medical resources, equipment and others to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran in the afternoon of January 8 and returned to Japan on January 11.

(2) Provision of emergency aid supplies

Provision of supplies approximately worth of US$320,000 (35 million yen) in total.

Breakdown: water tanks (11), tents (112), generator (65), blankets (4,000), plastic jerry can (1,824), cord reels (65), sleeping mats (700), etc.

(a) Supplies transported by Self-Defense Force aircraft (C-130: half of the aforementioned supply of tents and blankets, mats, etc.).
There relief goods were transported from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Singapore warehouse directly to the nearby Province of Kerman (arrived on January 1 and 2).

(b) The remaining half of the relief goods transported by commercial airplanes on December 31, 2003, from the JICA London warehouse to Tehran.

(3) Emergency grant aid

(Composition)
Provision of emergency grant aid amounting to US$770,000 (approximately 83 million yen).

(Current Situation)
The grand has already been disbursed to the Government of Iran.

(4) Assistance through non-governmental organizations (NGO)

(Composition)
The following eight organizations under the Japan Platform have provided assistance activities from rescue to reconstruction through utilization of government and private funds together amounting to approximately US$2 million (approximately 217 million yen).

(Current Situation)

(a) Peace Winds Japan: Established a tent village and while distributing commodities essential for daily life, is constructing temporary school buildings. They are scheduled to implement dissemination activities on earthquake-resistant reinforcement methods (until end of March).

(b) Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development (NICCO): Established shower rooms and bathrooms and distribution of blankets, clothing and commodities for living (until end of March).

(d) BHN Association: Following communication equipment assistance, scheduled to establish a FM radio station (until end of April).

(e) JEN: Established portable bathrooms and shower rooms, and distributing sanitary kits (until mid-April).

(f) Save the Children Japan: Scheduled to implement basic health education and restore medical care facilities (until end of May).

(g) Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA): Implementing assistance to orphanages such as distribution of daily commodities and restoration of facilities (until mid-April).

(h) Japan Rescue Association: Rescue activities through utilization of search dogs (December 28 to 30).

(5) Cultural Assistance for Arg-e-Bam

On January 13, Japan decided to extend contribution of 500,000US dollars through the UNESCO/Japan Trust Fund for the Preservation of the world Cultural Heritage to protect the cultural heritage of Bam.

This aid will support UNESCO's efforts to preserve cultural property in Bam, and will be utilized to implement projects for the protection and restoration of the Arg-e-Bam: Bam Citadel, a precious cultural heritage of Iran.

From January 21 to 27, UNESCO dispatched the first mission to Iran, lead by Mr. F. Bandarin, Director of the World Heritage Center. This mission, in which Prof. Kunio Watanabe of Saitama University participated, accessed the destroyed site of the Arg-e-Bam.

(6) Others

On January 8, the Flash Appeal was released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

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