Humanitarian Assistance / Emergency Assistance
May 2012
What's New:
- Emergency Grant Aid for Refugees etc., Arising from Political Unrest in the Syrian Arab Republic (May 18, 2012)
- Emergency Assistance to the Union of the Comoros in Response to the Floods Disaster (May 15, 2012)
- Emergency Assistance to the Republic of Mozambique in Response to Cyclone and Flood Disasters (February 3, 2012)
- Additional Assistance to the Republic of the Philippines for Typhoon Disaster (December 28, 2011)
- The Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team (Drain Pump Vehicle Team) Returns from Thailand (December 20, 2011)
- Emergency Assistance to the Republic of the Philippines for Typhoon Disaster (December 19, 2011)
- Arrival of the Drain Pump Vehicles for the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team in Thailand (Arrival Ceremony) (November 18, 2011)
- Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team (Waterworks Operations Team) in response to the Flood Disaster in the Kingdom of Thailand (November 4, 2011)
- Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team in Response to the Flood Disaster in the Kingdom of Thailand (November 2, 2011)
- Emergency Grant Aid for the Flood Disaster in the Kingdom of Thailand (November 1, 2011)
- Dispatch of a Survey Team regarding the Flood Damage in the Kingdom of Thailand (October 28, 2011)
- Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Teams in response to the Flood Disaster in the Kingdom of Thailand(October 28, 2011)
- Emergency Assistance to the heavy rain disaster in the Republic of Nicaragua (October 27, 2011)
- Emergency Assistance to the heavy rain disaster in the Republic of Honduras (October 20, 2011)
- Emergency Assistance to the heavy rain disaster in the Republic of El Salvador (October 18, 2011)
- Emergency Assistance to the Kingdom of Thailand in response to the Flood Disaster (October 10, 2011)
- Emergency Assistance to the Kingdom of Cambodia in response to the Flood Disaster (October 7, 2011)
- Updated Outline of Humanitarian Aid Policy (August 31, 2011) [PDF]
- Dispatch of a Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Team in response to a Fire Accident at a Petroleum Refining Plant in Khabarovsk region, Russia (August 11, 2011)
- Updated Humanitarian Aid Policy of Japan(July 2011)[PDF]
- The Third Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (May 17, 2011)
- Emergency Assistance for the Flood Disaster in the Republic of Namibia (May 2011)
- Response to the Earthquake in the Southern Island of New Zealand (February 2011)
- Flood Disaster in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Message from Mr. Seiji Maehara, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Emergency Assistance) (January 2011)
- Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Minister for Foreign Affairs Seiji Maehara send messages to their Australian counterparts following the unprecedented flood in Queensland (January 2011)
Humanitarian Assistance
In recent years, humanitarian crisis around the world has tendency to continue longer and become more complex, and natural disasters are increasing both in number and scale. Therefore, it is an important issue for the international community to respond effectively to such situation.
Toward reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Government of Japan sets it as our foreign policy to make consistent contribution in humanitarian assistance. It is one way to acknowledge solidarity expressed by the international community after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
From these standpoints, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formed basic concepts of humanitarian assistance of our country as “Humanitarian Aid Policy of Japan".
- Outline of Humanitarian Aid Policy (August 31, 2011) [PDF]
- Humanitarian Aid Policy of Japan(July, 2011) [PDF]
Emergency Assistance
The Government of Japan has three tools for emergency assistance for overseas disasters: (i) Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief Team; (ii) Provision of Emergency Relief Goods; and (iii) Emergency Grant Aid. One or more of these tools are chosen according to the magnitude of the disaster and requests from the affected country. Dispatch of a Japan Disaster Relief Team (JDR) and Provision of Emergency Relief Goods are used in the case of a natural disaster such as a flood, cyclone, typhoon, earthquake, volcanic eruption, and pandemic, as well as a man-made disaster such as a fire or explosion of an oil or gas tank, but not in the case of a conflict-related disaster. Emergency Grant Aid is available in any of those cases.
Procedures for Considering and Implementing Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief Team and Emergency Relief Goods
When a large-scale disaster occurs overseas and the government of the affected country or an international organization requests assistance from Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) examines the details of the request, considers the details of assistance according to the scale, type and other aspects of the disaster, and consults with the ministries and agencies concerned, before providing assistance. The process from a request for assistance to dispatch of a JDR Team / Provision of Emergency Relief Goods is as follows.
Flow Chart of Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief Team and Emergency
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