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Flood evacuees face health risks amid heat, toilet problems

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When a Rich Country such as Japan suffers and has problems following a Natural disaster such as the one that just occurred, one has to wonder what it's like with a Poor Country

You know, the more I travel, the more I realize that a lot of these "poor" countries are not really poor.

These so-called "poor" countries have vast amount of resources and human talent. They just don't know how to use it or are not willing to put in the effort. Another obstacle is corruption and government incompetence. Yes, Japan has that too. But not in the same amounts as in other "so-called" poor countries.

Think about it; Places like Africa, Burma, India, South America, have vast amount of resources and a ready source of human labor. Yet, they are so corrupted that people don't even have clean drinking water. They've had YEARS to clean up their act and yet they don't.

Japan was completely devastated after WW2; yet, see how far they've come in a few short years. If Japan can do it, why can't these other "poor countries", especially those that have been blessed with so much natural resources?

I've stopped feeling sorry for poor countries because majority of them have the ability to rise above poverty but they don't.

I've noted before in another thread: One of the things that I admire most about the Japanese is that no matter how many disasters they have to endure, they immediately start the process of bouncing back. They never give up.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Please take care of yourself as it is hot," he told a local woman after hearing her account of flooding.

Well, a fat lot of help he was!

kohakuebisu:

the press reported people saying that they had only had cold onigiri to eat.

I have hardly ever come across a hot onigiri.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

When a Rich Country such as Japan suffers and has problems following a Natural disaster such as the one that just occurred, one has to wonder what it's like with a Poor Country ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The people have toilets, just not the ones they prefer or there are queues. The story says a lady who was physically unable to use a squat toilet was transferred to somewhere without one.

After the Kumamoto earthquake, the press reported people saying that they had only had cold onigiri to eat. That might be accurate, but tens of millions of Japanese eat cold bentos and cold onigiri every day as a normal experience without it being sensationalized. I'm sure sports halls used as evacuation centers are red hot, but they are red hot every day for the kids that have to do school sports in them. Disasters cause huge disruption, and if people are safe, and fed, and being informed of the situation as it develops, that is enough for the time being. I would hope the authorities are prioritizing locating missing people over finding preferred toilets.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

This would be a good time to show the worth of the MV-22 Osprey. The govt should charter these aircraft to airlift food, medicine and portable toilets to these people.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Why not airlift portable toilets into the area?The same goes for water until roads are cleared.

Japanese politicians seem to be able to visit disaster areas quite easily yet basic facilities seem to come far down the list.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Hokkaido has earthquakes and bitter winter.

Basically it is down to town planning. For example, all new houses should have solar panels and don’t build on flood plains or landslide areas.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

In the western part of Japan, I feel, they live closer to rivers and mountains building their houses near to them meaning the areas are populated. The safest place from natural disasters in Japan may be Hokkaido.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

We have experience of evacuating and from that, I think most people want to stay close and in contact with their community to stay updated with the situation. People with unaffected workplaces will still go to work and kids will still go to school. Vulnerable retirees and very young children may be better off elsewhere, but others will probably want to keep their lives as normal as possible. The goal is to get back to normal, after all.

When we evacuated, there were meetings every morning with town officials giving updates about the clean up, temporary housing, what assistance was available etc. It is not something you would want to be cut off from.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Japan needs a national relocation buddy system so that affected people of disasters can go somewhere safe. Like a homestay somewhere such that if matched with a place with similar occupations or status they stay for a bit and move on, or if not a good match. With so many seniors all living alone, making new friends would be nice

3 ( +4 / -1 )

It is difficult to live in a disaster prone country Japan. Someday, we have to think about a whole country moving to China. We have to keep a good relationship with China for that time.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Why not just move people out of affected areas to locations where services are not destroyed? If the Fukushima experience and others have shown is the need for mobility in the face of crisis. Neighbouring towns and cities need to step up their compassion

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Flood evacuees face health risks amid heat, toilet problems

Delicacy is not a word known here.

"Flood evacuees face health risks amid heat, and lack of sanitation facilities"

"toilet problems" sounds like something a child would say!

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Unbelievable. Put these people on planes and transport them to shelters with functioning toilets, AC etc.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

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