Development of the Disaster Relief System Including Volunteer Activities

The Case Study of the Disaster Relief Volunteer Center in 7.13 Niigata Heavy Rain Disaster

Abstract

The"disaster relief volunteer center"has been established as a new support system for disaster victim by volunteers. One of the most important issues to consider when running a disaster relief volunteer center is how to help people who have greater needs - the eldery and disabled, for instance. Those people may require more assistance than the government can provide. This paper examined the potentiality and the task of the new support system from the case study of the disaster relief volunteer center of Nakanoshima-cho established after the July 2004 Niigata heavy rain disaster. As a result,it turned out that investigation of the support demand by community based organizations worked effectively in the process of the adjustment of volunteers'supply and demand.