23 May 2012. Back in March local level governments in Japan set up a help hotline for refugees from Iwate, Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. Supposedly this was to insure that refugees were able to be heard by local government officials.
So far only about 10% of those who call are getting through. Out of the 370,000 calls made to the hotline, only 40,000 were answered!
The hotline is called Yorisoi, which operate 38 call centers in Japan. Their northeastern boss blames the lack of answered calls on lack of reconstruction in the disaster hit areas, and on refugees making calls at night (even thought it is a 24 hour call center).
Yorisoi officials claim they can not find enough employees to take calls at night!