Tag Archives: earthquake

MSC to Provide Earthquake Relief in Turkey and Syria

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MSC Virtuosa arriving into Southampton photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

The MSC Group and the MSC Foundation have organized an urgent response to support the population in the aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

The company is closely coordinating with the Turkish authorities, the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Vatican while one of its ferries, departed from the Port of Naples on February 16 heading towards the port of Iskenderun (Alexandretta).

“We feel a strong sense of obligation to act promptly in order to support the people most in need by all means. We are part of a global organization that can set in motion a large-scale operation by involving foundations and associations that we collaborate with all around the world,” said Daniela Picco, executive director of the MSC Foundation.

“As soon as the terrible earthquake in Türkiye and Syria struck, we immediately took action to collect funds, supplies and food, which we can deliver on our ships within a short period of time. This is where the valuable collaboration with the Francesca Rava Foundation comes in, and we thank you for immediately joining this initiative.

“The departure of MSC Aurelia from the port of Naples is an initial example of what we are doing, while we keep on working to provide associations and governments with what we can, so that by sea and by land some comfort can reach those who are presently living in dire situations and, in the future, for the rebuilding of cities and the environment. It is not the first time that the MSC Foundation and the MSC Group have been on the front lines of emergency relief operations: in 2022, we provided extraordinary funding worth millions of euros to offer aid to refugees from Ukraine and led eight emergency relief initiatives in nine countries, strengthening our global emergency capabilities,” added Picco.

The MSC Aurelia was loaded with basic necessities and first aid items that the MSC Group and the MSC Foundation have collected, together with the Rava Foundation. 

The cargo onboard included 60 pallets of medical supplies, food, hygiene items, warm clothing and blankets, as well as toys and crayons for children. Additionally,  50 boxes of thermal shirts are being carried on behalf of the Vatican.

When it arrived, the MSC Aurelia served as emergency accommodation, providing those impacted by the earthquake with over 1,000 beds as well as a restaurant and cinema and video-game entertainment for children.

The MSC Foundation is also collaborating with the UN Refugee Agency to ship an additional 100 containers carrying first aid supplies including blankets, mattresses, sleeping bags, kitchen sets, jerry cans and lamps from Jordan via Haifa, the headquarters of the UN Refugee Agency’s warehouses. The items will reach Gaziantep and other cities that were hit the hardest by the earthquake.

Deadly earthquake rocks the Philippines

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At least three people are reported to have been killed as an earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Sunday.

The 6.9 magnitude quake occurred in Davao Del Sur province on the island of Mindanao.

The country’s second-largest island is a popular tourist destination.

Videos posted on social media showed hotel swimming pools overflowing and mass evacuations of people from shopping centres, CNN reported.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned that transportation throughout the area may be disrupted.

“A number of aftershocks have been reported,” the FCO said in updated travel advice.

“If you’re in Davao Del Sur, or are planning to travel to the area, you should be careful of aftershocks, monitor local media for up-to-date information and follow the advice of local authorities.

“You should check with transportation companies for any changes or cancellations of schedule.”

A previous series of 6.6 and 6.5-magnitude quakes struck Mindanao in October, killing 14 and injuring more than 400.

Japan’s tourism industry to recover by early 2012

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Japan’s tourism industry to recover by early 2012

Oct 06, 2011 07:00AM GMT

Japan’s tourism industry is showing clear signs of recovery for 2012 following the tsunami earlier this year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

In the WTTC’s second quarterly report into Japan’s recovery, which uses data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation and STR Global, foreign visitor numbers in June and July were 36% lower than in the same period last year. In comparison, visitor numbers fell 62% in April and 50% in May.

The report, The Tohoku Pacific earthquake and tsunami: impact on travel and tourism – update September 2011, also shows demand for hotel rooms improved in June and July compared to previous months but was still around 5% down on June and July 2010.

The improving yen and containment at the Fukushima nuclear plant are likely to be behind the optimistic findings, said the WTTC. Japan’s inbound tourism recovery will be further helped by a forceful marketing campaign by the Japan Tourism Agency, it added.

WTTC president and chief executive David Scowsill said: “As the world’s largest travel and tourism economy in the world, the recovery of Japan is one of the most compelling issues facing the industry anywhere in the world.”

Prior to the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, Japan’s travel and tourism industry was expected to provide nearly 1.5 million jobs in 2011 and to directly contribute 2.2% of total Japan’s gross domestic product.

The news of a recovery has been backed up by specialists to the destination. Tour operator InsideJapan Tours said departures were almost back to normal figures by September compared to June when bookings were only 60% of those in the same month a year earlier. Although there is still “some work to do for the usual peak autumn months, normal booking levels are expected to return by Novermber, said the operator.  Strong hotel deals and flight prices are expected to aid the recovery.

An InsideJapan Tours spokesman said: “With the Japan women’s football team winning the world cup, a summer full of festivals and the autumn’s leaf viewing season on the horizon, there is much to be positive about in Japan. Six months on from the biggest earthquake in its history, the sun is most definitely shining in the Land of the Rising Sun.”

The WTTC plans to give a further update on Japan later this year and a final report in April next year, a year after the disaster.