Food Aid for Palestinian Refugees

March 25, 1999

The Government of Japan has decided to extend a food aid of 800 million yen to the Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Notes to this effect were exchanged on March 25 (Thu.) in Amman between Mr. Koichi Matsumoto, Japanese Ambassador to Jordan, and Mr. Peter Hansen, Commissioner General of the UNRWA.
In the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, since the economic situation has been severely worsened by the economic blockade measures of the past several years, the Palestinian refugees are suffering a shortage of food. Therefore, as in the previous fiscal year, Japan has decided to provide funding for the UNRWA to purchase rice for the Palestinian refugees, with a view to supporting the peace process.
There are more than 3.4 million Palestinian refugees in the neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria in addition to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and the poor refugees are facing a serious food shortage. Under these circumstances, the UNRWA, which has implemented assistance activities including food assistance giving priority to the poor Palestinian refugees, has requested the Government of Japan to extend a food aid.
Japan has extended food aid through the UNRWA since 1970.

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