ブックタイトル人道ジャーナル第3号

概要

人道ジャーナル第3号

The Journal of Humanitarian Studies Vol. 3, 20144］CURRENT LIVING CONDITIONS: TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATIONThe level of destruction to housing and infrastructure, combined with limited availability of land that was suitablefor constructing temporary housing facilities, meant that in some cases it took up to five months for evacuees tomove from evacuation shelters to temporary accommodation. New temporary housing facilities have been built insafe areas on higher ground where the tsunami did not reach, or in areas considered safe while Tsunami protectionwalls were being rebuilt. These are often sited on existing school playgrounds,（9）and in many cases, somedistance from local amenities.Today, approximately 117,000 of those who lost their homes are housed in 53,000 temporary house units built inIwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaragi, Tochigi, Chiba, and Nagano prefectures, or in one of the 80,000 apartmentsprovided by the government for those who were displaced. At the time of data collection, 69.9% of surveyrespondents were living in temporary housing facilities, and 24.5% in their own homes.Historical precedent suggests that affected populations will be living in temporary accommodation for manyyears. Following the Hanshin Awaji（Kobe）earthquake, the last residents of temporary housing left the facilitiesfive years after the disaster. While public housing units are projected to be available for older people in manycities by 2015-2016, limited access of older people to reconstruction loans means it is likely that many will bedisplaced for even longer.4.1 Addressing health and care needsOlder people are at high risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and dementia; they may require palliativecare and end-of-life pain management. This makes them particularly sensitive to disruptions in health careaccess. Evidence from conflicts and natural disasters shows that a high degree of excess morbidity and mortalityresults from exacerbation of existing non-infectious diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer.（10）Thedisplacement in Japan has had consequences for the lives of older people, with 10% of those surveyed reportingconcerns for their health. The centralized nature of Japan’s health care system continues to cause accessdifficulties for older people, particularly those without access to transport, or with limited family support.The northern regions of Japan experience cold winters. Older people’s ability to maintain good health by keepingwarm is severely compromised in the poorly insulated temporary shelters. In older age minor conditions such asarthritis and joint pain can be worsened by exposure and rapidly become debilitating if not properly treated. Theseverity of this situation is illustrated by the fact that following the initial emergency, 2,034 people suffereddisaster related deaths, and 47% of these were related to conditions developed while living in evacuation centers.（11）The importance of understanding the long-term consequence of the crisis on older people’s health status is furtherreinforced by experience from other developed world emergencies where it has been possible to monitor thelonger-term health needs of older people.The evidence from Hurricane Katrina, indicates a likelihood that the GEJE will have a long term health impact onthe older population. Monitoring and assessment of this will be crucial for planning longer-term care needs of theolder population in affected areas. Currently, however, national disease survey data at city level is notdisaggregated by age. Moreover, data from the heavily damaged cities has not been included in available datasources. Unless this data gap is addressed, it will be impossible to monitor or understand the long-term impact ofthe crisis on older people’s health status.4.2 Social connectivityAs a result of displacement, many older people experience a radical change in status: from being a respected elder人道研究ジャーナルVol. 3, 2014 93