The Japanese Red Cross Society's Response to the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake Disaster
1. Details of the Response of the Japanese Red Cross Society
(1) Medical Emergency Team Operation (as of 10.00pm, 24 April)
| Status | The number of the medical emergency team | Active areas | Involving prefectural chapters |
| On-going Operation | 24 | Kami-mashiki, Aso, and Kumamoto | Aomori, Akita, Ibaragi, Tochigi, Saitama, Niigata, Nagano, Gifu, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Okayama, Hiroshima, Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi, Saga, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima |
NB: The Japanese Red Cross Society is dispatching several dERUs*, and a number of medical staff of Japanese Red Cross Hospitals are participating in DMAT.**
*dERU: Domestic Emergency Response Unit (dERU) is a mobile medical unit. One "Temporary Clinic / Hospital Unit" is comprised of a truck with automatic lift and lowering capability, the container, the standardised equipment kept inside the vehicle, and the 14 trained professionals who work inside. There are 2 medical doctors, 2 head nurses, 4 regular nurses, 1 maternity nurse, 1 pharmacist, and 4 administrators, in general.
** DMAT: Japan Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) is a group of professional medical personnel and administrators organised by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.
(2) Psychosocial Support (since 20 April)
| Status | The number of the care staff |
| On-going Operation | 8 |
(3) Medical Personnel: Support Staff to Kumamoto Red Cross Hospital from Other Red Cross Hospitals in Japan (since 20 April)
| Status | The number of the medical personnel (doctors, nurses, etc.) |
| On-going Operation | 84 |
Caption: Visit of President Tadateru Konoé to the evacuation shelter in Mashiki-town on 24 April.
(4) Distribution of the Number of the Relief Supplies to the Affected People in the Evacuation Centres, etc.
| Blankets | Sleeping mats with pillows | Emergency kits* | Tarpaulins (waterproof plastic sheets) |
| 18,980 | 6,401 | 654 | 8,200 |
* Mobile radio, electric torch, toothbrush, towel, wet tissue, work gloves, ointment, bandage, etc.
Sleeping mats with pillows
(5) Japanese Red Cross Society Volunteers
a. Kumamoto Chapter
| Date | Activities |
| 15 April | Transported aid supplies |
| 16 April | Dispatched to medical relief teams |
| 17 April | Established the Kumamoto Chapter Disaster Volunteer Centre |
| 24 April | Collected information with the Mashiki-town Disaster Volunteer Centre |
b. Other Chapters of the Japanese Red Cross Society
The Japanese Red Cross Society volunteers have been carrying out operations since 15 April. Some of them are also working for the Mashiki-town Disaster Volunteer Centre.
(6) International Donation
The Japanese Red Cross Society accepts international cash contributions to its humanitarian assistance for the people affected by the earthquakes which hit Kumamoto. Please see the following link:
http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/160420_004225.html
2. Outline of the Disaster (Source: the Japan Meteorological Agency)
Location: Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
(1) Major Quakes:
14 April 9.26pm, 6.5 Magnitude
15 April 0.03am, 6.4 Magnitude
16 April 1.25am, 7.3 Magnitude
(2) Magnitude of Earthquake: 7.3 (estimated)
Time of earthquake: 1.25am, 16 April, 2016
Epicentre: Kumamoto area of Kumamoto Prefecture (32.8°N, 130.8°E)
Depth of hypocentre: 10km (tentative)
3. Damages
Human Casualties
| Prefecture | Death | Serious injuries |
| Kumamoto | 60 | 270 |
| Oita | 4 | |
| Saga | 4 | |
| Miyazaki | 3 | |
| Fukuoka | 1 | |
| TOTAL | 60 | 282 |
(as of 7.40am 24 April by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency: FDMA)
Structural Damages
It has been estimated that the total number of 10,236 up to 10,336 residential houses were damages, which include total collapse. (Source: Kumamoto Disaster Prevention Measures Head Office)
4. The Situation of the Evacuation Centre
(as of 7.40am 24 April by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency: FDMA)
| Prefecture | The number of the evacuation centre | The number of the evacuee | As of Date | As of Time |
| Kumamoto | 600 | 59,912 | 24 April | 1.30pm |
| Oita | 38 | 152 | 24 April | 3.00pm |
| Fukuoka | 3 | 10 | 24 April | 9.00am |
| Nagasaki | 2 | 2 | 24 April | 6.50pm |
| Miyazaki | 1 | 1 | 24 April | 6.00pm |
| TOTAL | 644 | 60,077 |