The eyes of the whole world have been glued to the Northeast of Japan since 11 March 2011, a region that had been afflicted by several disasters. About two months after first earthquake and tsunami, experts agree that this was by far the worst natural disaster in the history of the fourth-largest insular state. About 30,000 people are either reported dead or missing; some 150,000 are homeless following the destruction of their houses and are living in shelters. Another 150,000 people have left their homes to escape the radiation exposure that occurred after the accident in the nuclear power plant of Fukushima. Experts estimate that it will cost more than € 200 billion to rebuild the destroyed areas.

Employees quick to help

The Friedhelm Loh Group employs 65 members of staff in Japan. Even though they are not directly affected by the disaster, "our heart felt sympathy goes to the victims in Japan, and we want to help wherever we can", says Friedhelm Loh. "I was genuinely pleased that we have collected such a huge sum for Japan after the fund-raising campaigns for Pakistan and Haiti last year. I find it immensely touching that our employees feel so strongly about values such as charity and responsibility for the needy."

Help where it is needed

A large number of charity organisations operate locally in order to alleviate the suffering brought on those affected by the events in Japan and work on donations they receive from all over the world. The partners united under the umbrella "Aktion Deutschland Hilft" use donations like to the ones from the Friedhelm Loh Group to distribute drinking water, food and toiletries. In addition a mobile clinic service operates in the Natori region that had been hit by the tsunami, visiting the needy in gymnasiums and retirement homes.

In the area around Miyagi and Iwate, helpers mainly concentrate on supporting those that had to stay in the devastated settlements because of old age, illness or disability. In other regions, the charity organisations are already busy rebuilding. To this end for instance, € 70,000 are used for the interior equipment of temporary accommodation.

Caritas international, for example, built up an emergency centre based in Sendai that acts as a coordination centre for the relief campaigns to support the victims of the earthquake and the tsunami. Cleaning up efforts are already in full progress in the areas of Shiogama, Ishimaki and Kamaishi.

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe supports a union of four important Protestant churches in Japan. It focuses on distributing relief goods to the earthquake victims in emergency shelters and on providing long-term support.

Humedica e. V. is involved in the distribution of relief goods and plans sustainable projects in the field of rehabilitation and reconstruction together with local partners. Disaster relief workers from the Cologne Salvation Army distribute warm meals and clean drinking water in the cities of Sendai and Yabuki-cho.

World Vision, an international children's aid organisation, will organise emergency relief and reconstruction work for the regions affected for at least two more years, and will also use funds from the Friedhelm Loh Group to this end.

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Friedhelm Loh Group

A successful global player, the Friedhelm Loh Group (F.L.G.) invents, develops, and produces customised products and system solutions. It is the world's leading producer of enclosures, power distribution, climate control and IT infrastructure; Europe's number one address for software solutions in machine and plant construction and industrial applications (Rittal International) and a source of end-to-end production competence with the modern materials steel, aluminium, and plastic (Lometal International). In the field of renewable energies, the company provides planning, consultation, and end-to-end services for CHP units and photovoltaic systems. The family-owned company is now active worldwide with 16 production sites, more than 60 subsidiaries and 40 agencies. The entire group employs more than 11,000 people and expects to generate revenues of € 2.2 billion in 2011. Further information at www.friedhelm-loh-group.com.