More than 14,000 people remained evacuated Thursday, one month after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, as local governments rush to prepare temporary housing while logistics continued to be disrupted, Report informs, citing Nikkei.
The victims of the quake, which killed 238 people, are struggling to rebuild their lives as they face difficulty securing fresh food due to supply chain disruptions affecting operations at grocery and convenience stores, with roads remaining cut off.
The New Year's Day temblor in Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast caused large-scale fires and destruction, also leaving 19 people unaccounted for.
Ishikawa Gov. Hiroshi Hase said the prefecture would promote rebuilding through a newly established reconstruction headquarters. The central government plans to provide up to 6 million yen ($41,000) each for elderly households.
"We must walk forward to allow those who died to continue living in our memories," Hase said during a news conference at the prefectural office.
The governor acknowledged that moving evacuees to hotels and other accommodations from evacuation centers has not gone smoothly and apologized, saying there have been mishaps in sharing information.