Figure 1.21: Total number of people displaced by the Great East Japan earthquake disaster, March 2011 to March 2017 Number of people displaced (evacuees), in thousands 470,000+ 400 344,000 300 119,000 200 100 0 MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR MAY JUL SEP NOV JAN MAR 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Source: Japan Reconstruction Agency situation reports, available at goo.gl/cKLVE0 sive behaviour among evacuees living in temporary housing units has been linked to their loss of employment and sense of purpose.152 Social stigma, including the bullying of schoolchildren, has also been a problem for IDPs from areas of Fukushima affected by radiation.153 Older people have been particularly vulnerable to the impacts of prolonged and protracted displacement. The residents of temporary housing units, the majority of whom are older people, have gradually been relocating to more permanent public housing or rebuilt private homes, but those left behind report feeling increasingly isolated.154 Their isolation has contributed to a growing number of stress-related deaths and the phenomenon of kodokushi, or people dying alone and unnoticed.155 As of March 2014, 90 per cent of an increasing number of evacuees who died of poor health while living in temporary housing were people over the age of 66.156 In Fukushima, the number of deaths associated with the long-term effects of the disaster exceeds those caused by its direct impacts.157 The effects of displacement following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes follow a similar pattern. Twelve months on, health problems brought on or made worse by prolonged displacement are already responsible for more deaths than those caused by the more direct impacts of the disaster.158 44 GRID 2017 These unquantified but profound social, psychological and health consequences of displacement show that “soft” protection and support measures that improve people’s mental, physical and socioeconomic resilience during displacement are as important as “hard” investments in infrastructure reconstruction and environmental remediation. They also make it clear that those who remain displaced for long periods tend to be the most vulnerable, without the means, capacity or support networks to forge their own paths. Wherever displacement occurs, older people and other vulnerable groups with specific needs, such as women and children, should be prioritised from the start of any response. In areas at risk of disasters, they should also be considered and prepared for in advance. Mitigating and addressing the issues that drive and prolong displacement and worsen its impacts are vital to ensure that people affected by disasters are able to recover fully, and that development progress for the country as a whole leaves no one behind.