Red Cross Assists Following Japan Earthquake
Posted/updated on: March 13, 2011 at 5:23 pm
TYLER — Staffers with the Smith County Red Cross chapter are relaying information related to the Japan earthquake and resulting tsunami. They say at this time the Red Cross is unable to accept inquiries to contact or locate family and friends in Japan. However, there are several resources available as follows:
Inquiries concerning U.S. citizens living or traveling in Japan should be referred to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747 or 202-647-5225.
For inquiries about relatives living in Japan who are not U.S. citizens, the Red Cross encourages you to keep calling or to try contacting other family members who live in the region. Even though communication networks are overloaded right now, staffers say the situation may change, and access to mobile networks and the Internet may improve.
The Google Person Finder site is available at http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=en
If you have the mobile phone number of your family member in the affected areas, you may utilize the following services to check whether he/she has registered his/her message(s) on this service. Services are available in English and Japanese.
DoCoMo: http://dengon.docomo.ne.jp/Einoticelist.cgi?es=0
SoftBanK: http://dengon.softbank.ne.jp/pc-e1.jsp
Please note that when you enter the mobile phone number for search on the web page, you should remove the country code 0081 and add 0 at the beginning. For example, phone number for example if you dial the number internationally as follows, 0081-90-8877-6655, enter it into the website as 090-8877-6655.
Staffers say the Red Cross is able to assist anyone who is trying to locate a loved one who is located in Quam or Hawaii or any of the affected Pacific Islands. To start the process, go to the American Red Cross web-site at http://www.redcross.org and look on the front page under “How to Help Victims of Disasters,” where there are several links. Click on the Safe and Well, for domestic disasters only, and follow the instructions. For those without computer access, staffers say if you contact the Red Cross office at 903-581-7981, you will be assisted.
The American Red Cross is currently in discussions with the Japanese Red Cross to assess their needs and see how to help. American Red Cross chapters in the Pacific islands of Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, as well as those on the west coast of the U.S., are on alert and ready to provide assistance as needed to their communities.
Those who want to help can go to http://www.redcross.org and donate to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami. Gifts to the American Red Cross will support Red Cross disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific. People can make a $10 donation by texting REDCROSS to 90999. Their donation will go to support relief efforts for the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.
