Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Responding to the urgent call for aid, Japan’s Foreign Minister IWAYA Takeshi Iwaya announced on Tuesday that an international emergency relief team of 32 doctors and nurses will be swiftly dispatched to Myanmar for a two-week mission. This rapid response comes in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck central Myanmar on Friday. 

The relief team was scheduled to depart in the early hours of Wednesday, and their duties will include treating victims and preventing infection.

Although Japan does not recognize the government of Myanmar, the country has asked for assistance as it is facing a shortage of both doctors and medicine due to the prolonged civil war there. China, Russia, India and other countries have also sent personnel for humanitarian purposes.

The relief team, known as the Japanese International Emergency Aid Corps and Medical Team, will be deployed with the full support and resources of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Japanese government has also decided to provide emergency relief goods such as sanitary items, water, and water purifiers to the people affected by disaster through the United Nations and JICA. These items will be distributed as soon as they are ready.

The Japanese government emphasized that its actions were to “directly benefit the people of Myanmar.”

The Earthquake in Myanmar, which occurred on March 28, has left a trail of extensive physical damage and claimed over 2,000 lives, underscoring the urgent need for international aid.

According to Myanmar officials, until March 31, there were 1056 Search and Rescue members, including medical personnel from various countries, working together with their Myanmar counterparts in the affected areas of the country. Due to their effort, over 600 people were rescued, the officials said.