The earthquake and tsunami in Japan has killed more than 10,000 people and made at least 500,000 people homeless. Rotary Club charity ShelterBox are providing relief in Japan in the shape of green boxes that contain a tent, sleeping bags, multifuel stove, pots and pans and other essential equipment.

Caterham Harestone Rotary Club are appealing for donations to ShelterBox and you can donate by visiting www.justgiving.com/caterhamshelterbox. All money goes directly to ShelterBox. The Club has already donated the funds for a ShelterBox directly to the charity and have donated additional funds for a Water-Survival Box to another Rotary charity, 'World Waterworks'.

Mark Pearson, ShelterBox's Field Operations Specialist, has extensive experience operating in disaster zones around the world. He likened the scene to the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, saying: "What we are seeing is the same as I saw in Banda Aceh six years ago. Huge swathes of Sendai have been reduced to rubble and further north whole towns have been completely flattened.

"We travelled to Minamisanriku, north of Sendai, and there is complete devastation, miles of debris and homes turned to matchsticks. There are food, fuel and water shortages where we are and we are in an emergency situation.

"The support we've received so far from Japan's Rotary network has been invaluable and we wouldn't have been able to operate as effectively and safely as we have without them."

To keep up to date with the work of the ShelterBox charity visit www.shelterbox. org. For more information about World Waterworks visit http://www.worldwaterworks. org/