The Singapore Red Cross has dotted the i's, crossed the t's, and disbursed the full $35.7 million raised by Singaporeans for the Japan earthquake and tsunami that hit in March 2011.
Most of the funds are being put towards four reconstruction projects in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, the worst affected areas. Work on the Isobe Community Centre in Soma City, Fukushima - the last project to take shape - begins later this month and is expected to be completed in October 2013.
Designated as the lead agency to coordinate funds for Japan's disaster relief, the Red Cross gave this update on Tuesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Secretary-general Benjamin Jeyaraj William explained that it wanted donors to know exactly what the funds were being used for. Although the 2004 South-east Asian tsunami led to more than $80 million in donations, the sum raised for the Japan disaster was the highest collected by the Red Cross for one country.
Chairman Tee Tua Ba added that the reconstruction projects were identified by the Singapore Embassy in Japan working with local authorities as those that would 'make the greatest impact on the lives of the survivors'.
The other three projects are an elderly support centre in Miyako City, Iwate; a multi-purpose hall in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate; and a nursery school in Shichigahama, Miyagi. The centre was completed in November. The other two will be finished by 2013.
