A Japanese high school student who survived the 2011 tsunami recounted at the U.N.'s New York headquarters her experiences of the disaster and how young people are playing a critical role in rebuilding her hometown in Miyagi Prefecture.
"We want people to realize the amazing power of teenagers worldwide," Honoka Miura on Wednesday told a special session of the U.N. General Assembly on water and disasters that was also attended by Crown Prince Naruhito, who made a keynote speech earlier in the day.
After the tsunami "swallowed" her home in Minamisanriku, forcing Miura's family to move into a shelter for two months, she realized that despite her suffering she could still offer a hand to help others.