A Self-Defense Forces mission in response to the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake became the SDF’s longest earthquake response program on Sunday, marking its 175th day.
With the exception of ongoing cleanup work related to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, the mission is now longer than that following the Tohoku region earthquake and tsunami that sparked the prefecture’s crisis.
The record-long mission has highlighted the time-consuming work of restoring water supplies and sewerage. The Department of Defense plans to continue support based on requests from local communities.
The cumulative number of SDF members deployed to the areas affected by the Noto earthquake has reached approximately 1.13 million, with members searching for missing people, transporting goods and providing water supply support.
About 100 members of the Ground Self-Defense Force continue to support bathing services in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, although the number of troops deployed has decreased due to infrastructure rehabilitation.
General Yoshihide Yoshida, chief of the SDF Joint Staff, told a news conference on Thursday that the size of the mission after the Noto earthquake is smaller than at the time of the March 2011 earthquake, but that there are still areas where only the SDF can provide support.
“We will continue to provide careful support to meet the needs of affected people,” he said.
