Caritas Japan has called for volunteers to help in the aftermath of the floods and subsequent record-breaking heat-wave which have stricken western parts of the nation, killing almost 300 people, in recent days.
Caritas worker Aine Ono told Catholic news agency Agenzia Fides that the affected dioceses of Hiroshima and Takamatsu were “encouraging people to join the volunteer work”.
“The volunteer work needed now is mainly mud and debris removal, which is quite hard for both rescue workers and the volunteers in this unusual temperature these days,” said Ono.
Authorities say some 4,500 people are in evacuation centres while more than 100,000 households in Japan’s west are without running water and struggling to stay cool in what have been soaring temperatures.
Caritas Japan has planned a nation-wide fundraising campaign this week to support the relief activities.
