First ShelterBox Tents go up in Japan

HELSTON, Cornwall, March 24, 2011 - The first Japanese families have moved in to ShelterBox tents less than
two weeks after a quarter of a million people were made homeless by the
catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.

The tents have been set up in villages in the Iwate Prefecture, where
police say almost 11,000 structures were totally destroyed. More
ShelterBox equipment has been requested across the region.

Mark Pearson, ShelterBox Field Operations Specialist, said: 'People have
been living in very cramped, confined conditions in emergency shelters,
cars, hotels and shared accommodation for nearly two weeks now and the
cracks are starting to show.

'We're hearing that the authorities want to get these buildings, often
schools, freed up as soon as possible so that life can carry on as
normal.

'Temporary housing is being built but the sheer scale of this disaster
means that it will take time to provide suitable housing for the
estimated 261,000 people living in evacuation centres.'

The ShelterBox tent is large enough for an extended family. It can be
put up inside a communal emergency shelter to provide privacy for the
ill or the elderly. It also allows families the freedom to move back to
their homes and begin the process of rebuilding and getting on with
their lives.

Mr Hashimoto, a local politician from the Iawaiti Prefecture, said: 'It
will be up to three months before temporary housing can be made
available to those displaced by the tsunami. Many individuals forced to
choose between crowded displacement centres or dependence on the
hospitality of friends and neighbours will prefer the independence and
privacy afforded by the ShelterBox solution.

'The displaced were concerned about the long wait ahead before the
completion of government temporary housing and are relieved and grateful
for the solution that ShelterBox has provided. In this season freezing
winds blow across the coastlines and the opportunity to remain near
their homes yet avoid this discomfort is being gratefully seized.'

ShelterBox were on the ground in Japan less than 24 hours after the
earthquake struck and since then have been working around the clock to
provide to help the families affected by the disaster.

SHELTERBOX DISASTER EXPERTS ARE AVAILABLE TO COMMENT - PLEASE CALL
+44(0)7584489194

Images are available at:

www.flickr.com/photos/shelterboxuk/sets/72157626264123350/

Public donations are vital to ShelterBox's continuing work. To make a
donation please ring +44 (0)300 0300 500 or go to www.shelterbox.org to
donate online and get the latest updates on our response to disasters around
the world.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About ShelterBox

ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that provides
emergency shelter and life-saving supplies to families around the world who
are affected by disasters. In ten short years ShelterBox have responded to
earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, landslides, typhoons
and conflict, delivering lifesaving aid to families across the globe at a
time when they need it the most.

ShelterBox aims to help the areas where the need is greatest by providing
shelter, warmth, comfort and dignity to families in the immediate aftermath
of a disaster. Each big, green ShelterBox is tailored to every disaster but
typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets,
water purification and storage equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic
tool kit, a children's activity pack and other vital items.

From the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, there is
no disaster too big or too small for ShelterBox. Simply put, if there is an
unmet need for emergency shelter, the charity will do everything in its power
to meet that need.

ShelterBox relies entirely on public donations and could not operate
without the generosity of people the world over. A box can be sponsored for
GBP590 - this takes into account the costs of all materials, packing,
storage, transport worldwide and delivery to families most in need at a time
of disaster by a team of highly trained volunteers.

Since its inception in 2000, ShelterBox has firmly established itself at
the forefront of international disaster relief, providing emergency shelter
for the people who need it most on every continent.

For all the latest information on ShelterBox's work around the world,
including ways you can help, please visit www.shelterbox.org.

For more information contact: Katy Creates - ShelterBox on +44(0)7584489194, +44(0)1326-569782 or KatyC at shelterbox.org