American Red Cross Helped Provide Relief and Assistance to Hundreds of Thousands of Families One Year After Japan's Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami

Generosity of American public helped transition Japan from relief to recovery

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- One year following Japan's tragic earthquake and Pacific tsunami, the country is firmly on the path to recovery.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO)

"Donations to the American Red Cross have helped hundreds of thousands of disaster survivors and are serving a critical role in recovery plans," said President and CEO Gail McGovern. "Whether it's offering emotional support to someone struggling with trauma, building much needed healthcare facilities, or providing appliances to a family moving into a temporary home, the Red Cross is helping the Japanese people look to the future."

Donations to the American Red Cross have helped the Japanese Red Cross:

• Provide more than 316,000 survivors with necessary appliances for their temporary housing, including refrigerators, washing machines and rice cookers.
• Support construction of four temporary hospitals, one permanent hospital and a community health clinic.
• Rebuild a Red Cross nursing school that will train specialists in disaster medical care
• Provide more than 87,000 people with health services through Japanese Red Cross mobile teams and temporary clinics.
• Comfort 14,000 people by counselors trained to deal with disaster-related trauma.
• Provide transportation and vaccinations for the elderly and educational support, temporary school gyms and play areas for children.
• Improve the disaster response capacity of the Japanese Red Cross, so critical to saving lives.

"Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who has generously donated funds through the American Red Cross and national societies in many other countries," said Tadateru Konoe, president of the Japanese Red Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross. "Through your support we have been able to help survivors regain their resilience and also increase our preparedness to face up to potential future disasters."

The American Red was one of the largest private, international contributors to the Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami response, raising more than $312 million. One year later, virtually all of the funds have been spent. Because of these donations, the Japanese Red Cross was able to bring emergency comfort to those living in shelters and later able to provide the supplies and services needed to help them get back on their feet.

More information on Red Cross relief and recovery efforts in Japan can be found in the one-year report available at www.redcross.org/japanoneyear.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

SOURCE American Red Cross