Vietnamese association delivers relief supplies to foreign residents after Kumamoto earthquake

A Vietnamese community association in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, delivered emergency food and drinking water to around 200 foreign residents on Aug. 6, after a major earthquake left some hesitant to seek public relief due to language barriers and cultural differences.

The earthquake, which hit Kumamoto Prefecture late last month, registered a strong 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in the city of Yatsushiro. In the quake's aftermath, many Vietnamese residents spent nights outdoors on plastic sheets, fearing building collapses.

On Aug. 6, a vehicle carrying emergency supplies arrived at an apartment complex in Yatsushiro where many foreign trainees live. About 30 people gathered to receive the supplies. A 22-year-old Indonesian woman said she was 'very happy because I was getting short of food.'

The Vietnamese Association in Kumamoto, established in 2022, is connected via Facebook to about 300 Vietnamese residents in the prefecture, which it says represents nearly half of the total Vietnamese population there. It began delivering supplies after being contacted by people seeking help following the quake, and distributed aid across the cities of Yatsushiro and Uki.

The association normally offers consultations on daily life to Vietnamese people in the prefecture, but delivered supplies to foreign residents regardless of nationality, targeting those who, according to the association, tend to fall through the cracks in obtaining public support.

• The source does not state the total number of foreign residents affected by the earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture.
• The source does not state the official response or position of Kumamoto Prefecture or municipal authorities regarding support for foreign residents.
• The source does not state the magnitude of the earthquake on international scales, only the Japanese seismic intensity reading.
• The source does not state the exact date the earthquake occurred, only that it struck 'late last month' relative to the Aug. 6 delivery.
• The source does not state the total quantity or value of relief supplies delivered.
• The source does not state whether any official government outreach programs for foreign-language speakers were in operation following the quake.

1. The Japan Times — original

Read the original at The Japan Times

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