JICA's feature describes the activities of the JDR medical team after the earthquake that struck Venezuela in June, which reportedly claimed more than 6,000 lives. JDR sent a survey team the day after the quake and, following the dispatch order on July 1, a first team of 43 members left Japan and entered the hardest-hit La Guaira State.
At the Japanese site, about 100 patients visited the outpatient clinic each day. The article notes that careful responses, such as X-ray imaging with a compact device brought from Japan, attentive listening for those suffering trauma, and playing with children using origami and paper cranes, won a strong reputation.
The article also traces the history of Japan's emergency relief, which began in 1979. JDR has been dispatched 175 times including this mission; its rescue team holds international certification and its medical team is certified by the WHO. It also notes that Japan's domestic disaster medical teams (DMAT) grew out of JDR, and mentions the ARCH Project to strengthen disaster health networks in ASEAN countries.
Key points
- A survey team was sent the day after the quake, securing a route into the country even while the capital's airport remained closed
- Patients lined up daily at the Japanese site, where care included handing out paper cranes
- Japan's domestic DMAT grew out of JDR, and experience at home and abroad feeds back into each other
Why this news is worth noting
Disaster-relief news often focuses on what was sent, but this article conveys the reality of support through the voices of team members on the ground.
Japan is a disaster-prone country, and the idea that overseas experience also strengthens domestic preparedness is a good way to think about international cooperation as something close to home.
Editor's comment
It is clear that behind the experts who rush to disaster sites lies a steady accumulation of training and registration in ordinary times.
You can read the full field report in JICA's original article. Why not use it as a chance to think of international cooperation as your own concern?