Japan: How to Help

Japan needs assistance immediately for those stranded in the northeastern part of the country devastated by the earthquake and tsunami. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese tonight continue to be displaced, and in need of basic supplies such as water, food and blankets. Communities are devastated and a sustained humanitarian support effort will be required. While the nation’s military and civilian disaster relief teams are hard at work, supported by the U.S. and other national disaster relief teams, donations to experienced non-governmental disaster relief agencies can help mitigate the suffering.

Agencies with strong organizational capacity in Japan are:

American Red Cross

International Red Cross Red Crescent

Save the Children

Mercycorps

The Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC website carries a list of options for those seeking to donate to the relief effort as well.

For U.S. citizens trying to locate family and friends in Japan, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has a dedicated page for the relief effort in Japan.

Japan-America societies around the United States are also organizing donation efforts. A full list of these efforts can be found at the National Association of Japan-America Societies.