Arab News Japan 

TOKYO: The Japanese government is contributing 500 million yen ($4.7 million) in grant aid to the Republic of Tunisia to help strengthen the country’s medical facilities in the face of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

The Japanese ambassador to Tunisia, Shinsuke Shimizu, presented a letter regarding the aid to the Tunisian Secretary of State to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Selma Ennaifer on June 9 in the capital Tunis.

The aim of the assistance is strengthening the hygiene and medical system in Tunisia, especially against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, through equipment such as X-ray and ultrasound machines. While Tunisia has seen a decrease in new cases, concerns about a second wave remain. 

According to the Japanese announcement of the contribution, the spread of COVID-19 presents a grave threat socially and economically to all countries, including Japan, which the international community should work in unison to address. It said that preventing the spread of the disease in developing countries was especially important.

Japan says it will continue to support countries with vulnerable healthcare systems in order to curb the spread of the disease as soon as possible.