Relief news update from Japan - 8 Apr 2011  
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Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news update from Japan.
According to a recent measurement by Japan's Coast Guard, last month’s historic 9.0-magnitude quake has caused the seabed off Miyagi Prefecture to move 24 meters east-southwest, a shift four times any other recorded in the country.

As of Thursday evening, the National Police had confirmed over 12,690 fatalities, with more than 14,000 people officially reported as missing and an unknown number still unaccounted for due to the scope of the devastation.

Expressing her sorrowful prayers and love, Supreme Master Ching Hai had donated US$80,000 in aid, while asking that our Association members, including doctors and nurses, please go render assistance to the most desperate, especially the elderly and young together.

Saying that extra expenses would be reimbursed, she requested that they deliver urgently needed supplies such as medicine, along with copies of her book, “The Dogs in My Life,” to bring consolation to their hearts. With contributions from our worldwide Association members, the total donations amount to
more than US$172,000.

Immediately following the initial disasters, relief teams from Japan, Formosa (Taiwan), and South Korea have been going to the hardest-hit areas to offer comfort. They covered their own travel and related expenses of over US$7,600.

As per Supreme Master Ching Hai’s loving request for updates, the following is a report by our Association’s relief team from Gunma Center, Japan.

April 4, 2011
Re: Relief work in Miyagi Prefecture
Most Compassionate Master,
While we conducted relief work in Miyagi Prefecture, we also brought 40 kilograms of vegan dog food. The caregivers that we visited were so happy because they could not find any dog food at shops.

We found dogs who had not eaten or drank for many days, with their caregivers gone for relatives' funerals. So, we gave them pure clean water and vegan dog food. As the caregivers happened to come back and meet us, they expressed deep gratitude.

We also provided food to a welfare center in Kesennuma which was housing canines whose human companions were unable to bring them to shelters. Upon finding a lonely dog in a cold cage whose owner had succumbed to the disaster, one of our members immediately adopted him.

The victims are now receiving more and more aid, with efforts to rebuild underway. As of now, our assistance is no longer needed. We will continue to monitor the situation and help as necessary.

Once we receive the newly printed copies of the #1 international bestseller, “The Dogs in My Life,” by our compassionate Master (Thank you so much!), we would like to help deliver or send them out to the children in Japan.

Thank you again, Master, for your deep consideration and love that brings comfort to so many. Through this relief work, we also learned that we can make a difference if we help each other and share the message that we are united and one. Thank you very much. With all our love, Gunma Center, Japan

Supreme Master Ching Hai sent the following reply:
Thank you deeply from my heart for adopting that poor (lucky) dog and for your care for others.
God bless you all and pray for Japan. I am glad that aid is coming more and more now.
Hopefully, people will be strong in rebuilding life.
    CH

VOICE: Our thankfulness for Supreme Master Ching Hai's permission to share these details with our viewers as well as for our Association’s Foreign Group provision of this report.

In updates at Tokyo Electric Company (TEPCO)’s damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, an operation that began Wednesday night to pump nitrogen gas into the containment vessel of the No.1 reactor was going smoothly as of Thursday. This measure was intended to prevent an explosive accumulation of hydrogen gas.

Thus far, 21 workers have reportedly been exposed to more than 100 millisieverts of radiation, which is the top normal limit of exposure during an emergency. During the ongoing crisis, this maximum allowed was increased to 250 millisieverts.

Amid radiation fears, expecting mothers and small children in Iitate village of Fukushima Prefecture, some 40 kilometers from the plant, are being voluntarily evacuated. On Wednesday, the radiation level in the village was 6 microsieverts per hour. At these readings, people exposed continuously over a week-long period would receive more than 1,000 microsieverts, which increases cancer risk and is the annual limit recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

Meanwhile, foreign tourists have been avoiding Japan during the season normally considered one of the most popular to visit the nation. In neighboring South Korea, school boards across the nation have advised principals to tell students to refrain from outdoor activities, as low levels of radioactive iodine and cesium have been detected in the air since the disaster.

On Thursday, schools in Gyeonggi province were closed over concerns of radioactive rain.  Our appreciation, Japanese and international governments, aid groups, rescue personnel, as well as radiation experts and workers for your continued assistance to Japan.

We also thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for her attentive care of the disaster victims, as well as our Association’s relief team for their tireless efforts to help.

Our prayers for the nation's recovery of regular function for all citizens, as humanity strives to restore Earth’s balance through our benevolent, elevating actions.

Supreme Master Ching Hai : If we look around, we can see the growing frequencies and strength of disasters everywhere. Flood events worldwide are now three times higher than in the 1980s. In 2008, there were 40 category 5 storms, the most ever recorded including the Atlantic, India and Bangladesh, and in the Philippines.

It takes just one category 4 or 5 storm to destroy a major city, just one. What’s more, we have more reports of unending drought, freezing weather, storms and animal species and even plant and tree species are slipping away faster and faster, because they are unable to withstand the global warming consequences.
These are truly almost always the consequences of humans’ violent actions.

The number 1 action is meat eating. So, we are grateful we have a few more days to help more of our fellow world citizens to change to the benevolent diet to save our planet.

But, these days are still numbered. We can’t prolong forever. We can stop the disasters, make them go away for good, forever, make all the unfavorable  disease situations, threatening weather to go away if all of us switch to the organic vegan diet. Pray it be so.