Gift of the Givers: ‘Well-equipped’ Japan unlikely to ask for earthquake assistance

South Africa’s most well-known humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers, says that it is unlikely Japan will ask for international assistance for the victims of the New Year’s Day earthquakes which claimed 40 lives and destroyed several buildings.

The first earthquake struck central Japan at around 4.10pm local time, at a depth of 10km in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa prefecture.

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Not long after, a fire broke out in the city of Wajima where more than 100 homes were completely guttered. Some 45 700 households are without power.

Rescue operations are still underway, with  a thousand military personnel being dispatched by the country’s defence ministry to assist.

Gift of the Givers: Japan ‘well-versed’ for these situations

Speaking to The Citizen, founder of Gift of the Givers, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said that Japan was well versed in responding to these types of disasters.

“We are always keen to assist, but we can only do so when there is an official request for international assistance.

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“It is unlikely that there will be a request for help from Japan as they are well-equipped and well-versed for these sorts of situations,” he said.

Gift of the Givers was founded to provide disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and global outreach. The organisation gained prominence in South Africa in the 2010s and 2020s, attributed to government challenges in service delivery, including disaster relief.