nearly 300,000 people left homeless and dazed by the earthquake and tsunami

By Gwen Robinson and Michiyo Nakamoto in Tokyo

Published: March 13 2011 15:59 | Last updated: March 13 2011 15:59

The enormity of the humanitarian crisis facing Japan became apparent on Sunday evening as nearly 300,000 people left homeless and dazed by the earthquake and tsunami bedded down in makeshift emergency shelters in the Miyagi and Iwate prefectures.

Temperatures dropped to near-freezing and, with no electricity in much of the region, survivors in more remote areas were struggling without heat, food and, in some cases, clean water. Telephone networks remained disrupted, hampering efforts to account for more than 90,000 people.

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