Japan quake: Funding, transparency and accountability

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunamis hard hit northeastern Japan. Although the death toll is high and the devastation is large-scale, as of today we see that the authorities in Japan were well-prepared for a disaster of this nature, and had well-defined emergency response plans.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has sent medical teams to support the government-led earthquake and tsunami response in Japan.  Our teams are running mobile clinics and conducting needs assessments, which will determine the full scope of MSF's response.  However, the MSF response so far is limited in comparison and so, at present, we are drawing on donations previously given to MSF to fund our efforts, and we are not requesting donations specifically earmarked for recovery efforts in Japan.

The ability of MSF teams to provide rapid and targeted medical care to those most in need now in Japan, as well as in more than 60 other countries around the world – whether in the media spotlight or not – depends on the generous contributions of our donors worldwide. For this reason, unless only in exceptional circumstances, MSF does not prefer to issue appeals for support for specific emergencies.   MSF would not have been able to act so swiftly in response to the current emergencies in Japan, Libya, or Ivory Coast – to cite just three examples, if not for the ongoing general support from our donors. So we ask our supporters to consider making an unrestricted donation, which is always the best way to help MSF to act.  If you would like to help this work please consider making a donation.

We greatly appreciate your generosity and encourage your support of our work. We will continue to post updates on our website, Facebook, and Twitter as new information becomes available.