International recovery efforts continue in
Japan. More than a month after the March 11
quake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan,
an unknown number of people are still unaccounted
for, with the National Police Agency having
confirmed over 13,400 fatalities and more
than 14,800 missing. Aftershocks that continue
to rattle the region are also disrupting the
recuperation of survivors, with many noted
to be displaying signs of post-traumatic stress
disorder. At Tokyo Electric Power Company
(TEPCO)’s damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
plant, workers moved emergency diesel generators
to higher ground in an effort to safeguard
them from aftershocks and tsunamis, as they
also rewired the plant's external power supply
to guard against possible future blackouts.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial
Safety Agency Deputy Director-General Hidehiko
Nishiyama said, “It may be difficult to
completely remove the contaminated water and
so allow work to proceed. We may need to think
of other options.”
According to the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), the plant’s crisis has placed the
world’s third largest economy on a steady
decline, with nearly 60% of local companies
affected as production and supply chains continue
to be hampered by power shortages.
On Wednesday, Japan's health ministry reported
that radioactive cesium and iodine above the
legal limit were found in fish caught off
Fukushima Prefecture, and radioactive cesium
was identified in 11 different vegetables
from the prefecture. As a preventive measure,
one cooperative in Fukushima cancelled its
fishing of sea urchin and abalone. Amid radiation
concerns, South Korea’s Food and Drug Administration
announced on Thursday, April 14 that in addition
to maintaining a ban on food imports from
four different prefectures, including Fukushima,
it would now ask for government radiation
safety documentation on food imports from
eight others. Also in South Korea, the nation’s
oldest nuclear reactor, located at the Kori
nuclear power plant, was shut down due to
a problem with the facility’s electric circuits.
Our appreciation, Japanese and worldwide governments,
officials, and nuclear experts working to
assist the calamity-affected people and stabilize
her ongoing nuclear crisis. We pray for the
swift restoration of safe conditions and the
minimizing of disasters such as these through
humanity's more benevolent stewardship of
the ecosphere�
