Khaldon Azhari, Tokyo

The Japanese government decided Wednesday to dispatch units of its forces to Australia, in order to provide emergency help in response to the damages caused by the bushfires spread in the country.

A statement issued by the Japanese foreign ministry reported that Tokyo will dispatch Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Self-Defense Force units to provide emergency relief goods at the request of the government of Australia.

The aid will be sent through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in light of the humanitarian perspective and the friendly relationship between the two countries.

The SDF unit is scheduled to leave for Australia Wednesday.

The ministry said the SDF unit is expected to transport the recovery equipment and personnel involved with firefighting and recovery efforts.

The unit will begin assistance in the earliest possible time once it arrives, while assessing the conditions of the affected area.

Australia is in the grips of a nationwide bushfire emergency. More than 10.7 million hectares of Australian land have been burned.  At least 28 people have died and over 2,000 homes lost, according to estimates by World Wide Fund For Nature Australia (WWF Australia.)

NSW has declared a state of emergency and Victoria a state of disaster. Major fires are also raging in South Australia and Western Australia, WWF reported.