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<p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">Police estimates show more than about 18,400 people are known to have died in Japan's earthquake and tsunami. With entire villages swept away by the tsunami and thousands more missing.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">A further 452,000 people are living in shelters or have been forced from their homes by the disaster. Many children in Japan are scared and lonely - not knowing if they will ever again be safe at home.</span></p>
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<h1><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000;" lang="EN-US">An estimated 100,000 children are homeless</span></h1>
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<p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">Save The Children's teams working across the affected area have received reports of children being unable to sleep, suffering nightmares, and being haunted by memories of what happened to them.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US"><strong>"It is essential that children need support to come to terms with what’s happened so they can avoid emotional problems later on."</strong></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US"><strong> </strong></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US"><br />says Stephen McDonald, Save the Children’s response team leader in Japan. <br /></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">Save the Children's relief efforts in Japan include specially equipped child-friendly spaces where kids can play, and express their feelings about what they endured, under the supervision of caring, trained adults. <br /></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">During emergencies, we help children feel safe and secure. Working along side their community, we can provide children and families in Japan with the support they need to feel that some day soon, things will get better.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">The news coverage on Japan has been immense and has been upsetting. So after my first break from any form of exercise, I am going to get back in to training to complete the Royal Parks Half Marathon 13.1miles.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">Minimum sponsorship amount I need to reach is £550.<strong> </strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US"><strong>I want to aim for a minimum of £950.</strong></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a title="Follow my progress blog to get out of the pub and get back on the streets at www.run-the-streets.com" href="http://www.run-the-streets.com"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">Follow my progress blog to get out of the pub</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a title="Follow my progress blog to get out of the pub and get back on the streets at www.run-the-streets.com" href="http://www.run-the-streets.com"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">and get back on the streets at www.run-the-streets.com</span></a></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">Support this appeal to help reach more families and donate. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #999999;"><em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">[Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’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’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.]</span></em></span></p>
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