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"Six months since Typhoon No.19 (Hagibis) hit us...recovery has just begun..."

"Facing invisible fears and living with piling stress, this situation is very similar to what we experienced right after the disaster."

"The longer this crisis continues, the worse we feel mentally and physically. Prevention measures are needed promptly."

"We can act now to fight COVID-19 with our experiences and networks built through disaster recovery."

These are some feedback Civic Force received from disaster affected areas across Japan.

Since its establishment in 2009 as a disaster assistance organization, Civic Force has partnered with 70 organizations across Japan to support disaster assistance including the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, 2018 West Japan floods, 2018 Hokkaido earthquake, and Typhoon Hagibis in 2019. Through NPO Partner Projects, Civic Force has supported various activities focusing on disaster recovery and rehabilitation. Many of those disaster affected areas have been hit hard by COVID-19 and relief measures are urgently needed.

The years after a disaster are an important period for evacuees to rebuild communities in their new environment and find support systems around them.

However, the prolonged pandemic is forcing these communities to cancel their community events and isolating many individuals in self-quarantine. Movement restrictions may also be causing lone deaths and domestic violence. Disaster-affected populations who lost their jobs after the disaster, are again forced to lose their jobs after working hard to rebuild their livelihood.

Fragilities in disaster-affected areas are likely to negatively impact the vulnerable population including children, children with disabilities, and elderly. The pandemic is also creating regional divides as movements across regions are discouraged. Civic Force is concerned that disaster-affected areas could again lose their community ties and support systems in this new crisis.

Civic Force has launched a new fundraising project to support those people at risk in affected areas through online or home visitations.

Civic Force will utilize its experience and network built through disaster assistance and support the affected areas in their fight against COVID-19. The details on this new initiative will be available soon. Thank you for your continuous and generous support.

- Neki Kaori, Executive Director, Civic Force

You can donate through a crowdfunding website, Readyfor, by clicking on the link below

https://readyfor.jp/projects/covid19cfpartner