Japan's Measures to Counter the Flooding of the Euphrates River in Al Muthanna, Iraq

March 30, 2004

1. In the Governorate of Al Muthanna, Iraq, the Euphrates River, which runs through Samawah from west to east, has risen to its highest in 20 years from the torrential rains that hit Turkey, Syria and the northern part of Iraq. According to the Governorate of Al Muthanna, as of March 28 (Sun), about 300 households were affected by the floods, and it was feared that the damage would spread.
   
   
2. In such a situation, the Governorate of Al-Muthanna and the U.N. Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) have requested the Government of Japan to provide tents for the people rendered homeless, sandbags to prevent flooding, and other help. In response to this request, the Government of Japan on March 30 (Tue) decided to take the following measures, with a view to providing emergency assistance to the afflicted people and implementing smooth assistance for the reconstruction of Iraq.
   
   

   (1)	Two hundred and forty tents held for emergency use by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (worth about 21 million yen) will be provided to the Governorate of Al-Muthanna.
   (2)	To transport these tents from Kuwait to the affected area as quickly as possible, a C-130 transport aircraft of the Air Self-Defense Force and vehicles of the Ground Self-Defense Force will be used.
   (3)	Responding to the situation, the SDF unit stationed in Samawah will take flood control measures such as making barriers of sandbags.

   
   

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