Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Japanese government decided on February 24 to expand their earlier Emergency Grant Aid with an additional USD 16 million in response to the damages caused in Türkiye and Syria by the earthquake that occurred on February 6 in the southeastern part of Türkiye. 

 According to the foreign ministry in Tokyo, the funds previously donated by Japan were USD 4 million to Türkiye and Syria through Japanese NGOs via the Japan Platform (JPF) in addition to approximately USD 7 million disbursed to the Syria Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF). 

The ministry said Japan will continue to coordinate closely with relevant countries and with international organizations that include the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), to implement humanitarian aid for those seriously affected by the disaster in Türkiye and Syria in areas such as shelter, food, non-food items, early recovery including removal of debris in affected areas and health and medical care, protection, water and sanitation.

Utilizing part of Japan’s FY2022 supplementary budget, and including the above USD16 million, the amount of emergency humanitarian assistance from Japan to the two countries will total approximately USD 27 million. 

Details of the total assistance are USD 8.5 million to Türkiye, of that, 2.5 million going through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for shelter and non food items while the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will receive 2 million for food and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) receiving 1.5 million for shelter and non-food Items. Japanese NGOs (via Japan Platform (JPF) will supply food, shelter, protection, medical care, medicines, water and sanitation with USD 2.5 million. 

Syria will receive approx. USD 18.5 million of the total with 2 million via the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and 1.7 million for shelter and non-food items through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). UNICEF will have 1.3 million for water and child protection, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will also receive 1.3 million for health and medical care and Japanese NGOs will be provided with USD 1.5 million for food, shelter, protection and medical care. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will each have 1 million for debris removal and shelter. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will get 500,000 toward recovery of educational facilities, shelter and health and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will receive 200,000 for their inter-agency coordination work. Finally, the Syria Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF  previously provided with approximately USD7 million is for shelter, water and sanitation as well as health and medical care, energy and food.