Emergency Grant Aid for the Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) Program for Children Associated with the Fighting Forces in Liberia by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

March 19, 2004

On March 19 (Fri), the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency grant aid of approximately 3.64 million dollars in total (about 440 million yen) to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for its Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) Program for Children Associated with the Fighting Forces in Liberia.
A comprehensive peace agreement concluded in August, 2003 put an end to the civil war that continued in Liberia for about 14 years since 1989. There are, however, about 50,000 ex-combatants in the country, of which about 15,000 children, including girls, are estimated to have been associated with the fighting forces. These children were either drafted or abducted by the parties concerned in the conflict, forced to engage in the fighting or mobilized to work for combatants. The Government of Japan, therefore, will extend this emergency aid, in view of such a serious humanitarian situation involving children associated with the fighting forces and recognizing an urgent need to help them to return and reintegrate into their families and communities through the DDRR program.
(1) As a result of the protracted conflict in the country, the humanitarian situation in Liberia, including such issues as refugees and child combatants, still poses a serious problem. As a measure of consolidation of peace emphasized in the TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) process, Japan places particular importance on assistance to Liberia for stability in the West African region.
(2) The International Reconstruction Conference on Liberia was held on February 6 this year, and the international community including Japan leveled up its support for further progress. At the conference, Japan defined the following as the priority fields for the time being as its assistance for the peace process in Liberia:
      (a) Human security
      (b) Assistance for the DDRR Program
      (c) Humanitarian assistance for refugees and returnees
      (d) Assistance for the NGOs
This emergency aid for the DDRR Program for Children Associated with the Fighting Forces will mark a solid example of Japan's policy for consolidating peace in Liberia and contribute to the quick improvement of the inhuman situation in which child combatants are placed, by providing assistance for the reintegration program through disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation.

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