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European Civil Protection Mechanism activated to help Japan cope with earthquake/tsunami destruction
Following Japan's request, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated and is now coordinating the EU assistance to ensure a fully joined-up and targeted EU response.
The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) has compiled offers of assistance and coordinated the logistics of its delivery.
 18 Participating States in the EU Civil protection Mechanism have offered in-kind or financial assistance to Japan. Offers include about 122.000 blankets, 45.000 jerrycans and water tanks, 7.900 mattresses, sleeping bags, pumps and power generators.
A first shipment of 72 tons in-kind assistance (blankets, mattresses and sleeping bags) has reached its destination in Japan on Friday, 25 March. To date, five European shipments of relief items and water have been sent to Japan through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Two more shipments of EU assistance will reach Japan in the following days.
A sixth European shipment of assistance from Bulgaria, Finland, Sweden and Slovakia will be transported to Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, in the next days. UPS Foundation will provide transport free of charge.
The MIC is finalising its operations with a seventh shipment of assistance consisting of blankets and jerrycans that will be provided by Austria via regional procurement and transported from New Delhi to Japan.
With the 6th and 7th shipments, almost 400 tons of in-kind assistance will have been channelled through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to Japan and distributed to the Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Tochigi and Yamagata Prefectures. The assistance was provided by 11 Participating States: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom and delivered to Japan by means of the relief flights coordinated by the MIC.
The remaining experts of the EU Civil Protection team deployed on 18 March to Japan to coordinate the distribution of EU assistance on the ground have returned to Europe on 9 April. In view of the immediate response nature of civil protection, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism activities are now being phased out, while medium-term relief activities are shifting in.
ECHO´s focus will now change from civil protection in-kind assistance to a financial contribution to the efforts of partners in the Red Cross family. This approach is reflected in the ECHO funding decision of 1 April, which provides € 10 million to assist victims in the most affected areas by supporting the Red Cross in covering the needs over the coming 6 months.
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