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.

READ MORE at FT.com

The bloggers’ response: 'I hope I won't witness a Japanese Chernobyl'

From related article found at Independent UK

"I am in Ichinoseki. The ground continues to shake quite strongly. The shops are all shut, there are no traffic lights working. However, people are moving slowly and taking it in turns to cross roads, which is very impressive! Our grandparents re-built Japan after the war and the growth was considered a miracle. We will work to re-build Japan in the same way again. Don't give up Japan! Don't give up Tohoku!"

Blog from a "Japanese celebrity":

http://ameblo.jp/mikio-date/entry-10828418807.html

"I have bought enough bottled water ... to last for three or four days before I need to start drinking urine .... The ATM is working again so I've got enough money. We are expecting the tectonic plates to go mental again any time soon. Indeed, we have had many aftershocks over the last day – about 30, as of three hours ago. In short, us Tokyoites are doing quite well compared to poor old Sendai. All the dodgy little fishing boats that give the city its character have either been destroyed or just vanished. I'm sad to say all the people in them won't be seen alive again."

http://remarkabletravels.com/

"As I write this the shaking comes and goes a bit, but so small compared to the ones yesterday that I hardly even pay attention. On the whole, it was a quite good "wake up call" for me to start stocking up on supplies and get some safety plans in order for the family in case the next time, the epicentre is closer to Tokyo."

http://foreignsalaryman. blogspot.com/

"There were people queueing outside the supermarket hours before it opened. I managed to buy a box of water but batteries and portable stoves are sold out. The shelves that would normally hold bread and instant noodles are empty. It is only one day since the earthquake but already the way people think is changing. In the supermarket you see people in their twenties with a list in hand buying supplies like water and batteries. Then you see people in their forties buying cup noodles, tins and toilet paper. There are more men in the supermarket than normal."

Blogger Mirairara (A woman in her twenties)

http://blog.livedoor.jp/mirairara/ archives/2573712.html

"My host mother just informed me that they're probably going to be turning off all power and water in the Tokyo area to help out the north east so she's filled the bath tub and brought out extra blankets in preparation of a cold night. I hope I'm not going to be witness to a Japanese Chernobyl. Chiba's oil refineries caught on fire and now they're saying that if you go outside, bring an umbrella and raincoat and to cover all your skin in case it rains because the rain will bring over the shit from the refineries and it'll be trouble if it touches your skin."

http://weloveme07.blogspot.com/

Iran 'using child soldiers' to suppress Tehran protests

Armed children as young as 14 are said to have been deployed alongside riot police

Iranian protesters attending an anti-government protest in Tehran A bin blazes behind Iranian protesters at an anti-government protest in Tehran last month. Photograph: AP

Iran's Islamic regime is using "child soldiers" to suppress anti-government demonstrations, a tactic that could breach international law forbidding the use of underage combatants, human rights activists have told the Observer.

The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran says troops aged between 14 and 16 have been armed with batons, clubs and air guns and ordered to attack demonstrators who have tried to gather in Tehran. The youths – apparently recruited from rural areas – are being deployed in regular riot police roles and comprise up to one-third of the total force, according to witnesses.

One middle-aged woman, who said she was attacked by the youths, reported that some were as young as 12 and were possibly prepubescent. They had rural accents, which indicated they had been brought in from villages far from Tehran, she said.

Some told her they had been attracted by the promise of chelo kebab dinners, one of Iran's national dishes.

"It's really a violation of international law. It's no different than child soldiers, which is the custom in many zones of conflict," said Hadi Ghaemi, the campaign's executive director. "They are being recruited into being part of the conflict and armed for it."

The UN convention on the rights of the child requires states to take "all feasible measures to ensure that persons who have not attained the age of 15 years do not take a direct part in hostilities".


Read More at Guardian UK