Assistance in kind for Kosovo Refugees

April 6, 1999

The Government of Japan decided on April 6 (Tue.) to provide the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with 1,000 tents as assistance in kind for Kosovo refugees based on the International Peace Cooperation Law.
NATO has been conducting air raids on Yugoslavia since March 24, and the outlook for the resolution of the Kosovo issue is still bleak. At present, Yugoslav military and Serbian security forces are continuously attacking Albanians extensively and systematically. It is reported, in particular, that more than 300,000 refugees have newly fled into neighboring countries since the beginning of the air raids. In such a critical situation, the UNHCR has requested Japan to provide urgently 1,000 tents to tackle the shelter shortage. Japan has therefore decided to extend this cooperation in kind based on the International Peace Cooperation Law.
As a member of the international community, Japan has already announced its assistance of 15 million dollars through the UNHCR and other organizations to quickly respond to the deterioration of humanitarian situation in Kosovo. Japan strongly hopes that the situation in Kosovo will be stabilized as soon as possible.

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