Provision Of Logistics Services To Support The Government Of Japan's Response To The 11 March Earthquake

On March 11, 2011 an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred of the northeastern coast of Japan. The earthquake caused a devastating tsunami that has left an estimated 10,000 people dead or missing and caused massive destruction along the coast of northeast Honshu Island. An estimated 530,000 people have lost their homes and large areas are without electricity and water. In addition, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was damaged by the tsunami, and ensuing explosions and fires have aggravated the situation further, raising fears of radiation discharges. 

The disaster response is being coordinated by the Government of Japan, which is requesting international support on a bilateral basis. On 14 March the Government of Japan requested WFP’s support, in the form of logistics experts and specialized emergency support equipment, to assist the local authorities in implementing a coordinated logistics response to the disaster. 

Through this Special Operation WFP will provide logistics support including the deployment of experts to participate in the Government of Japan’s central coordination response unit; the establishment of a logistics coordination cell at the Narita Airport, Tokyo in order to avoid airport congestion caused by the large volume of incoming donations of relief items from third country governments; and the provision of emergency storage facilities to support the response efforts of the Government.