Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan has exchanged documents with UNICEF on extending grant aid of 417 million yen (just over $4 million) to Yemen to finance a “Plan to Promote Access to Quality Education for Children.”

Kimihiro Ishikane, Japan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Fayaz King, UNICEF’s Deputy Director for Field Achievements and Innovation, signed papers in New York on Wednesday, according to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo.

The Ministry said the humanitarian situation in Yemen had worsened and, according to a UN report, about 24 million people, or 80% of the population, need some kind of humanitarian assistance. The effects of the conflict threaten children’s access to education, leaving about two million children in Yemen out of school.

The plan will support Yemen in formulating its educational policies, as well as providing school bags for children and training for teachers to improve online lessons and other educational contributions, the Ministry said.

The Japanese grant is expected to ensure access to quality education for children suffering in the conflict and contribute to improving the level of education in Yemen.