Japan: Earthquake survivors endure unsanitary conditions with no running water

Over 230 people lost their lives in the magnitude 7.6 earthquake, which struck Japan’s west coast one month ago. Four4,000 homes were completely or partially destroyed, and 40,000 homes did not have running water. The government of Ishikawa prefecture said that more than 13,000 residents were living in evacuation centers.

Survivors are dealing with freezing and unhygienic conditions, and tens of thousands of homes remain without running water. Some areas in the remote Noto peninsula may not have water restored for another two months, the government said.

The extreme cold is another problem, particularly for the large number of locals whose homes were destroyed and who are now sleeping in their automobiles. Over the past week, the area has had considerable snowfall, and authorities have issued a landslide danger warning.

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Public health specialists estimate that after the terrible Kobe earthquake of 1995, over 900 people died, partly as a result of the flu spreading and inadequate medical attention at evacuation centers.

On Thursday, officials in the prefecture of Ishikawa plan to start immunizing evacuees against influenza.

(with agency inputs)