March 11, 2011 - Our hearts go out to the people of Japan and the other survivors of the earthquake and tsunami. American Red Cross chapters in the Pacific islands of Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam as well as in west coast of the U.S. are ready to provide assistance as needed in their communities.

International

• The American Red Cross is currently in discussions with the Japanese Red Cross to assess their needs and see how we can help. The Japanese Red Cross has extraordinary disaster response capabilities. They have been operating since 1887, and they run multiple hospitals and blood collection services across the country.

• Eleven Japanese response teams are currently assessing damage and supplying first aid in the affected region. In addition, the Japanese government has mobilized an emergency response, deploying 900 rescue workers to this area.

• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has offered to assist Japan with restoring family links.

• The American Red Cross has a warehouse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, fully stocked with pre-positioned relief supplies for 5,000 families, and it has disaster specialists on stand by. These supplies can be used for people in U.S. territories or other Pacific nations.

Domestic

• American Red Cross chapters in the Pacific islands of Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, as well as those on the west coast of the U.S., are on alert and ready to provide assistance as needed to their communities.

• In Hawaii, the Hawaii Red Cross is staging cots and blankets across the islands in case shelters are needed.

• Evacuation shelters are open, with additional locations on standby, in Oregon, Washington and California. The Red Cross is working closely with state officials in Hawaii and West Coast Emergency Operations Centers around activities such as sheltering and feeding. Approximately 100 Red Cross mobile feeding vehicles are on standby.

• Red Cross disaster supply warehouses in Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), California, Washington and Hawaii are activated in case relief supplies are needed. We’re mobilizing resources as necessary and are coordinating with FEMA and state Emergency Operation Centers.

Disaster Fundraising

• Those who want to help can go to · www.redcross.org and donate to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami. Gifts to the American Red Cross will support our disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.

• People can make a $10 donation by texting REDCROSS to 90999. Their donation will go to support relief efforts for the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.

Locating Family/Friends International

• The best way to contact or locate U.S. citizens living or traveling in Japan is to contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747 or (202) 647-5225.

• For inquiries about relatives living in Japan who are not US citizens, encourage the members of your community to keep calling or to try contacting other family members who live in the region. Even though communication networks overloaded right now, the situation may change and access to mobile networks and the internet may improve.

• If you have the mobile phone number of your family member in the affected areas, you can use the following services to check whether he/she has registered his/her message(s) on this service. Services are available in English and Japanese.

• DoCoMo: http://dengon.docomo.ne.jp/Einoticelist.cgi?es=0

• SoftBanK: http://dengon.softbank.ne.jp/pc-e1.jsp

Please note that when you enter the mobile phone number for search on the webpage, you should remove the country code 0081 and add 0 at the beginning. For example, phone number for example if you dial the number internationally as follows, 0081-90-8877-6655, enter it into the website as:090-8877-6655.

• The Google Person Finder site is available at: · http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=en

Domestic - Safe and Wel

With evacuations possible or underway in numerous U.S. states and territories, the Red Cross Safe and Well website is a secure and easy-to-use online tool that helps families connect during emergencies like tsunamis. There are several easy ways to register yourself or search for a loved one on the Safe and Well website.

• From a computer, visit · www.redcross.org and click on the "List Yourself or Search Registrants" link under "How to Get Help."

• From a smart phone, visit · www.redcross.org/safeandwell and click on the "List Yourself as Safe and Well" or "Search for friends and family" link.

• From any phone, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and one of our operators can help you register.

Blood

• The American Red Cross is prepared to respond to any domestic or Japanese request for blood as a result of the earthquake in Japan and the Pacific Tsunami.

• The American Red Cross will ship blood products outside of the United States (adhering to appropriate regulatory guidelines), following a specific request from the Japanese government or the Japanese Red Cross.

• To date, the American Red Cross has not received any requests for blood from the Japanese Red Cross, the Japanese government or the U.S. State Department.

• At this time, we are not collecting blood from individuals in America to go to Japan and we do not anticipate the need for a general blood donor appeal to support our preparedness efforts.

• Should the need arise, the American Red Cross will do everything it can to assist Japan with their request.

• The Red Cross does not collect blood in Hawaii; however, we have reached out to other blood collection agencies to offer our services, and are on standby to support any blood needs across the mainland as well.

• We have reached out to the AABB Interorganizational Task Force (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks) to let them know we are standing by to assist as necessary.

• The Red Cross has also been in contact with the Armed Services Blood Program Office (ASBPO) in case they are in need of additional blood supplies to support our troops stationed overseas in that area.

• As always, blood donors in the United States are encouraged to call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit us online at redcrossblood.org to make an appointment to give blood.

• Your blood donation will become part of the nation’s blood supply and will help ensure that we are prepared for any blood needs that arise here at home or wherever blood is needed.

SAF

• The military has reported that all their personnel are accounted for, and all Red Cross staff on military bases are also fine. As is the normal practice for a disaster, Red Cross station managers are currently in the military Emergency Operations Centers for their respective installations and assisting as needed.

• In Yokota, Japan, our SAF staff are assisting with evacuating non-essential personnel and some airline passengers who were diverted to Yokota.

• There are 175 Red Cross volunteers assisting with shelter operations

• Flights being diverted to Yokota Air Base from Narita, Japan

• Expecting several Delta flights

• Will be assisting with passengers

• Two flights have landed and they currently have 600 in the shelter.