Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news update from Japan.

Just 10 days after the fifth largest earthquake in history struck at magnitude-9.0, triggering massive tsunamis, the confirmed number of fatalities and those still missing exceeded 21,000. Police officials say that 15,000 have likely perished in Miyagi Prefecture alone. Aid is now arriving at more shelters that were lacking basic necessities such as food, water, electricity, heat, and medical supplies amidst the bitter cold and snowfall.

Despite their trauma and physical plight, the disaster-stricken have shown an admirable resiliency and determination to not only survive but to help each other in sustaining their lives. Since the initial catastrophe, Supreme Master Ching Hai has been closely monitoring the situation throughout Japan.

With sorrowful prayers and her love, she has donated a total of US$80,000, asking that our Association members please go to help the most desperate and bring urgently needed medicine as well as other emergency supplies, especially for the vulnerable young and elderly.

She also requested that medical professionals such as doctors and nurses from our Association please go if they are free to offer their services. Relief teams formed by our Association members from Japan and Formosa (Taiwan) have already begun bringing assistance to some the worst-hit regions. In accordance with Supreme Master Ching Hai’s request for updates, the following report is from our Association’s Foreign Group.


Upon receiving this update, Supreme Master Ching Hai replied as follows:


VOICE: We are grateful to Supreme Master Ching Hai for allowing us to bring this information to our viewers, as well as our Association’s oreign Group for providing this report. In other updates from within Japan, at the damaged Fukushima Daichii nuclear power plant, workers are still striving to bring the situation under control, despite a continued risk of exposure to potentially lethal radiation.

On Monday, Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency acknowledged that the workers are also at risk of inhaling radioactive dust, saying at the same time that there have not yet been any adverse signs of this having occurred.

However, an unspecified number of workers were evacuated temporarily Monday afternoon as smoke was seen rising from reactor No. 2 as well as the No. 3 reactor building, which is also the only one fueled by the more dangerously radioactive plutonium.

Thankfully, radiation levels were reported as stable at the plant. Crews have been working to cool several of the reactors by dousing them with water as they also race to restore electrical power to the plant's cooling systems. If this does not succeed, the reactors may have to be subjected to the drastic measures used during the 1986 Chernobyl accident, and be buried in sand and concrete to prevent a catastrophic release of radiation.

By Monday evening, power cables had been attached to reactors No. 1, 2, 5, and 6, and electricity had returned to 50% of the six reactors. But the plant’s operator reported that damaged pumps in No. 2 needed to be replaced before its cooling system could work. This delays the ongoing work toward restoring full functionality of the plant's cooling infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the US Pacific Command announced that iodide pills, which prevent radiation absorption into the body, are being distributed at several US military facilities in Japan. As we convey our gratefulness for the caring response of the international community, we also thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for her compassionate support, as well as our Association’s relief team for their selfless endeavors.

Our prayers for the smooth recuperation of the Japanese people to their regular daily lives, and that such earthshaking tragedies are soon averted through our more caring stewardship of the environment.