<p><!--StartFragment--></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; line-height: 150%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><!--StartFragment--></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><!--StartFragment--></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="color: #73177a;">The massive earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March have caused widespread destruction and suffering. 7,197 people have died and 2,611 injured&nbsp;in the disaster. With entire villages swept away by the tsunami and 10,905 people missing.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: #73177a;" lang="EN-US">More than 440,000 people have been forced from their homes by the disaster, including up to 100,000 children, many people are sleeping on the school gymnasium floors etc. The situation in the affected areas has been made more difficult by shortages of food, water and fuel, and now a drop to freezing temperatures, with snowfall across some of the worst affected areas. Ongoing uncertainty over safety at the Fukushima nuclear power station, where several explosions have occurred, is having an impact on relief efforts further north.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #e2641d;">There are AMURT volunteers based in Japan and are working in the affected areas,<span style="color: #800080;"> <a href="http://www.amurt.org.uk/node/76">click here</a></span> to read about the work being done.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 21.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #e2641d;">Our AMURT team in Japan are dedicated and committed to providing whatever services they can to refugees lacking basic human needs.&nbsp;Thank you for all your support and best wishes. Japan is an expensive country to work and y<span style="font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">our money will enable the volunteers to provide essential items for victims of the disaster</span><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: #7f7f7f;" lang="EN-US">Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure.</span></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #7f7f7f;">Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: #7f7f7f;">So please dig deep and donate now.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <p>&nbsp;</p>