{
  "id": 3026472,
  "title": "Language barriers hinder quake relief for Kumamoto’s foreign residents",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/language-barriers-hinder-quake-relief-for-kumamotos-foreign-residents",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-24T13:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2026/08/24/language-barriers-hinder-quake-relief-for-kumamotos-foreign-residents/232485"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kumamoto Prefecture faced challenges in delivering earthquake relief information to foreign residents following a magnitude-7.1 quake last month, according to Kyodo News. Only three of the 19 surveyed municipalities had services designed for non-Japanese residents, despite a total of 31,000 foreign nationals residing in the region as of January 1. The quake hit Uki and Hikawa with maximum level 7 intensity, resulting in 38 fatalities. The Kumamoto city government launched an emergency email service for foreigners, issuing disaster damage certificates to about 680 registered individuals and opening a shelter at the Kumamoto City International Center, accommodating around 20 people. Kikuyo town opened a social media account for simple Japanese information, and Yatsushiro introduced a webpage and Line app service for disaster updates. However, language barriers persist as significant obstacles, with a Vietnamese man in Yatsushiro having to share supplies with compatriots due to lack of information.",
  "summary": "KUMAMOTO (Japan), Aug 24 — Many foreigners in Kumamoto Prefecture may have had difficulty in obtaining information...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}