PORTLAND -- People all over the world Sunday will mark the anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan.
Photos: Japan quake, tsunami aftermath
Thousands of people were killed and the devastation was so extensive that victims are still living in evacuation shelters one year later.
One volunteer for Portland-based Mercy Corps International just returned from Japan, where she says many people still have no heat and many more are struggling to find work.
Related: Tsunami causes evacuations, damage at Oregon coast
“They have cleared a lot of the debris, but a lot of it still remains,” said volunteer Sylvia Ross. “And there’s still no solid approach on how they’re going to rebuild. And even for a country like Japan—which is a wealthy country—the destruction was just so incredible, that they too need help.”
Mercy Corps is now focused on rebuilding the economy. The group has raised more than $14 million for the recovery effort.
