Dear Friends and Family,
As most of you know there was a powerful earthquake measuring 9M that struck northern Japan on March 11.
My family and friends in Japan are all safe at this point, but they are afraid that radiation from the nuclear plants may possibly be coming towards them.
At the nuclear facilities in Fukushima, even though they were shut down right when the earthquake occured, the cooling system and methods they have tried have not been working well and the heat of what was left has nowhere to go but exploding/melting the wall. It is going to be way smaller damage and much less radiation spread compared to the Chernobyl accident, but this is causing a limitation of electricity/energy when Japan depends on almost 30% of nuclear power for the entire country’s supply.
In Tokyo most of the supermarkets are empty from people rushing to buy food and supplies for survival. In Kobe far away from the area where the tsunami hit my aunt could not find flash lights and batteries in any stores which she was trying to send to her sons living in the area where electricity restrictions will happen. The news is not showing this here because it is not necessary relevant outside of Japan, but they also are not showing it in Japan so people do not panic. Unfortunately, that is too late as they clearly are in panic mode and full of shock.
One lady who survived said she doesn’t know if she wants to live in what is now an empty field where there used to be a village.
Other people who’s houses are all swept away say “I cannot find words to speak, but there is no choice other than us trying to build again even if it’s little by little by the people who are here,” which shows how much Japanese people are not used to asking for help. They try to do everything themselves and this time it seems impossible.
It is going to be not only a loss of many lives but a huge blow to the Japanese economy.
I am finding a way from here in NY to see how I can do to help my country, and one of the ways is to send this email to as many people I know as possible to let you know what is actually happening over there.
I am also including a link for donations from places that I know are trustworthy.
https://www.japansociety.org/japan_earthquake_relief_fund
http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~jsfc/
http://www.joicfp.or.jp/jp/2011/03/13/8061/
(specially for pregnant women and women with babies who need help there)
http://bokin.yahoo.co.jp/donation/detail/1630001/index.html
If you can be so kind as to take some energy and money to help it would mean a lot to me.
Also please send this link to your family, friends or acquaintances.
Thank you very much,
Mika H. Soleimanpour
