Second relief fund worth 100 billion yen approved
Expansion of government reserves… Strengthening reconstruction funds
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the site two weeks after the Noto Peninsula earthquake and promised to expand support.
According to the Asahi Shimbun and Associated Press on the 14th, Prime Minister Kishida visited evacuation centers in Wajima City and Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, the areas most affected by the earthquake.
Prime Minister Kishida promised to do his best to improve the living conditions of refugees and help them rebuild their homes and restore their livelihoods as soon as possible. He also said, “I will do my best to help you have hope for the future.”
After inspecting the Noto area by helicopter, he said, “I was speechless when I saw the severity of the disaster,” and that he could see that the landscape of the eastern coast was changing as the ground cracked and landslides hit the roads.
Central government funding for major infrastructure reconstruction and emergency loans to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses were also provided.
The Cabinet approved a second relief fund worth 100 billion yen (about 907.5 billion won) this week to help residents rebuild their lives, and plans to strengthen reconstruction funds by doubling the budget reserve for fiscal 2024 to 1 trillion yen (about 9.075 trillion won). revealed.
Some point out that Prime Minister Kishida’s on-site inspection was too late. Prime Minister Kishida said on the 4th, “I want to travel to the disaster area as soon as possible,” but the actual visit did not take place until 13 days after the earthquake.
Asahi reported that within the Prime Minister’s Office, there were voices cautious about the early inspection, saying, “While life-saving is continuing, the detention environment is not in order, so the local (visit) may cause inconvenience.”
Previously, during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the site nine days after the disaster. During the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Prime Minister Naoto Kan inspected the site from above by helicopter the day after the accident. The ground inspection took place 22 days later.
On the 1st, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred in the Noto region of north-central Japan, killing 221 people and injuring hundreds. About 20 people are missing.
According to the Japanese Fire Agency, about 20,000 residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed are taking refuge in about 400 school gyms, community centers, and other temporary facilities.
Relief supplies have arrived in most of the earthquake-hit areas, but hundreds of residents in isolated areas are unable to receive assistance due to damaged roads. Noto, Wajima, and Suzu, which suffered heavy damage, are at risk of health deterioration as the elderly population accounts for half of the total population.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.