The 8.9 magnitude earthquake – confirmed as the largest to hit Japan since records began and the fifth strongest to occur anywhere in the world in the past 100 years – hit the north-east of the country. It was followed by a series of substantial aftershocks, which still continue to strike.

Recent reports show several villages now under water with at least one city completely destroyed. Due to the fears of an explosion near the nuclear plant, 215,000 people are reported to have been evacuated and to have spent the night without electricity and water. The total number of casualties has not yet been determined and many areas of destruction have still not been reached due to devastated infrastructure in the aftermath of the disaster.

We have staff on the ground in Japan, in Tokyo and heading to Sendai, the closest city to the earthquake epicentre. The city, population one million,was badly affected by the disaster with water and electricity in short supply.

We're extremely concerned for the welfare of any children caught up in this– they are always the most vulnerable in any emergency.

“Children in Japan have survived through a major quake, a lethal tsunami and some have even lived through fires and fears of explosions," said Steve McDonald, leading Save the Children’s emergency response in Japan.

"We know from experience that, especially with the ongoing aftershocks still being felt here and fears of another tsunami, children will be terrified and desperately in need of structured help and care," McDonald continued. "From today, Save the Children will be scaling up so that we can help provide that care and reduce the long term negative effects that such a chronic disaster can leave on children in their formative years. Without financial help, we simply won’t be able to reach these children fast enough.”

How we will help

Save the Children has launched the appeal for £1 million to do the following:

• Deliver psychosocial support to help overcome the shock and stress that the disaster and devastation has caused
• Set up child friendly spaces to provide a protective environment where children can spend time with other children and trained teachers. This service also allows parents much needed time that they can dedicate to investigating food sources, work, accommodation and locating other friends and family
• Monitor the nuclear power plant and prepare contingency plans for any future changes

The Japanese government has a very sophisticated response system in place, and we will work closely with the Japanese government and other agencies to ensure that our efforts are co-ordinated, and that children are prioritized.