Number of Tohoku volunteers exceeds 1.3 million
National Mar. 13, 2014 - 06:55AM JST ( 21 )
TOKYO —
The estimated number of volunteers who have supported reconstruction work in the tsunami-hit Tohoku region was at least 1.33 million, according to the Japan National Council of Social Welfare.
According to the council, the number of volunteers who applied through local disaster volunteer centers peaked two months after the earthquake in 2011. At that time, around 182,000 volunteers were active in the region. Last year, two years after the disaster, the average number of volunteers per month was almost 10,000.
NHK reported that the number of volunteers is estimated to be much higher than 1.33 million, if the number of individual volunteers and those who supported the victims outside the stricken areas are taken into account.
Local disaster relief officials say there is still a need for volunteers to help elderly people with their shopping, help at ward offices and so on. Officials are encouraging students to consider spending part of their spring-summer vacation helping people in Tohoku.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/number-of-tohoku-volunteers-exceeds-1-3-million