- ARAB NEWS
- 01 May 2025
Since 1975
TOKYO: The Government of Japan on Tuesday decided to extend Emergency Grant Aid of ¥1.5 billion ($10 million USD) in response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
Japan will provide the aid through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The aid is for humanitarian assistance in areas such as food, water, and medical care.
Japan said it will continue to closely monitor the situation with serious concern and will “proactively work on engaging the concerned parties, in cooperation with other countries and international organizations, toward early de-escalation of the situation and improvement of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”
The Japanese government said it will continue to monitor the need for further assistance based on the needs on the ground.
“As the humanitarian situation deteriorates in the Gaza Strip, Japan will provide $10 million in humanitarian emergency assistance to civilians in Gaza through international agencies,” Japan’s Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA Yoko said in a press conference on Oct. 17.
“Japan condemns the terrorist attacks by Hamas and Palestinian militants and continues its diplomatic efforts to improve Palestinian refugees’ and innocent citizens’ access to food, water, medical care and health services. We will continue to monitor the local situation with serious concern and toward the improvement of the humanitarian situation.”
Kamikawa also commented on the damage to the office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Gaza.
“It has been damaged, but at least we understand that there wereno injuries suffered by the staff,” Kamikawa said. “We are currently trying to confirm the actual status of the damage to the office.”
“This year, we commemorate 70 years of partnership between Japan and UNRWA. Japan’s long-term partnership is the evidence of its keenness to alleviate the suffering of those affected around the world, including Palestinian refugees,” Japanese Ambassador for Palestinian Affairs Nakashima Yoichi said.
“We hope that this assistance will contribute to alleviating the severity of the current situation and the suffering of the people in Gaza by meeting their basic needs,” he added.
