Fukushima children afraid to play outdoors, as unseen radiation danger fuels anxiety

8 March 2012

The worst part wasn’t when the tsunami hit - it was after, said nine- year-old Honami.

One year after the meltdown at Japan’s nuclear power plants in Fukushima, caused by a magnitude 9 earthquake, new research by Save the Children shows that many children live in fear of the unseen dangers of radiation.

The report ‘Fukushima Families’ published today found that children and parents overwhelmingly spoke of their fear and anxiety around the impact of the nuclear crisis.

Last year’s disaster has put children in a completely unprecedented situation – not only have they lost their homes or been separated from friends as a result of the earthquake and tsunami, but one year on they are still struggling with the anxiety prompted by the nuclear crisis said Save the Children New Zealand’s CEO Liz Gibbs.

The Save the Children report also found that children have picked up on their parents’ stress concerning the risks they may face and many children are expressing fear of playing outdoors, or sadness as their parents no longer allow them to play outside.

Save the Children is working with local communities and children in Fukushima to provide children with safe places to play in areas away from radiation ‘hot spots’.

Older children interviewed for the research highlighted difficulties adjusting to their new environments. Forced to flee their homes because of the nuclear crisis, many worried whether children at their new schools would accept them. Those who remained around Fukushima were upset by the empty classrooms, abandoned homes and an absence of children playing on the streets.

“Outside of Fukushima, children and their families face on-going challenges in recovering from last year’s triple disaster. One year on, the biggest challenge for children is overcoming the emotional and psychological impact of the disaster,” Ms Gibbs said.

While children are out of evacuation centres and back in school, the extreme emotional difficulties of the past year are still strongly felt. As nine-year-old Honami explains, “The worst part wasn’t when the tsunami hit, it was after. It takes a long time for things to get better.”

Save the Children is implementing a five-year recovery programme in Japan to assist children’s emotional and psychological recovery, support their education, and to enable them to play an active role in rebuilding their towns.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

To produce ‘Fukushima Families’ Save the Children Japan conducted interviews and group discussions with 61 people in December 2011 and January 2012. You can read the report at www.savethechildren.org.nz

More than 300,000 people remain in temporary housing in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Save the Children's response and recovery programme in Japan has reached more than 65,000 people in the past year. Initial response included distribution of disaster relief items for families in evacuation centres and provision of safe spaces for displaced children to play. For more information on the number of children reached visit: http://www.savethechildren.org.nz/see/emergencies/japan-earthquake

© Scoop Media