Médecins du Monde launches medical support activities in Kumamoto quake zone

Médecins du Monde on Thursday will begin medical support activities in the earthquake-hit towns of Nishihara and Minami-Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, where mental health support is needed.

Two weeks after the foreshock, aftershocks are still occurring in the area. In addition, there are regional disparities in infrastructure restoration. Today, there are close to 40,000 people displaced in shelters, according to the Kumamoto Prefecture Disaster Control Measures Headquarters.

In coordination with each institution such as support groups, municipality offices, and healthcare facilities of the region, Médecins du Monde will conduct the following support project.

Assistance for children and their families

Shaking caused by earthquakes, darkness due to power outages and repeated aftershocks bring more fear and trauma. Children do not have the ability to deal with these events, especially the youngest ones; it is impossible for them to express their experience with words and this could lead to more deeply rooted emotional issues and mental problems that are often overlooked.

In addition, the mental burden that comes from living in shelters (with a large number of people, mostly strangers) can be even heavier on children than on adults. Need for community and parental care is higher than usual. For instance, as the adults are busy helping to sort things out, they do not give enough psychological attention to their little ones who can feel left out and even more in distress. To minimize the stress and psychological impact on children and their families, mental health care support (medium to long term) has been deemed necessary.

Based on a survey by Médecins du Monde, Nishiharae and Minami-Aso are in urgent need of support, with the aim to reduce the impact on the medium and long-term mental health caused by the disaster and evacuation. Children will be provided a playground where they can play freely. Médecins du Monde will dispatch pediatricians and psychiatrists to assist local child mental health specialists.

“In addition to medium and long-term assistance emergency medical support activities worldwide, Médecins du Monde had to face two similar situations in Japan in the past 20 years: the Great Hanshin Awaji (Kobe) earthquake and the more recent Great East Japan earthquake where mental health care support is still implemented nowadays. Médecins du Monde has gained in proficiency through achievements of its assistance programs," says Médecins du Monde Japon President, Gaël Austin.

"Following past disaster response programs, Médecins du Monde has cultivated mental health care support expertise and know-how, and we want to deliver the appropriate mental health care support to all victims in the region.”

© Japan Today