Japanese soldiers unload earthquake aid from a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at Noto Airport in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, Jan. 17, 2024. (U.S. Forces Japan)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — U.S. Army helicopters have delivered nearly 2,000 pounds of supplies in support of earthquake relief efforts in central Japan, according to U.S. Forces Japan.
Two UH-60 Black Hawks from U.S. Army Aviation Battalion Japan, headquartered at Camp Zama, southwest of central Tokyo, last week joined Japanese forces aiding victims of a deadly earthquake that struck Japan’s west coast on New Year’s Day.
The quake collapsed buildings, shredded highways and, as of Monday, had killed 232 and injured 1,025 in towns and villages on the Noto Peninsula, according to data released by the Japanese government.
The quake damaged almost 12,000 homes and forced nearly 16,000 people to evacuate to temporary shelters, according to Major Disaster Management Headquarters data posted on the Cabinet Office website.
“We are here to support our Tomodachi (friends),” USFJ posted Friday on its official X account, along with a photo of Japanese troops unloading boxes from a Black Hawk.
A day earlier, USFJ posted a photo of Japanese and U.S. soldiers planning the mission at Komatsu Air Base, a Japanese installation in Ishikawa prefecture.
U.S. forces readied logistical support, food and other supplies for the victims, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel wrote Jan. 5 on X. The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo announced a $100,000 aid package that day that included essential resources such as blankets, water, and medical supplies through Peace Winds Japan, a nongovernmental organization.
