Third Emergency Grant Assistance for Liberia by the Japan Platform (JPF)

March 10, 2005

The Japan Platform (JPF), established in cooperation with the Government of Japan, the Japanese business community and NGOs (Non-governmental Organizations), has decided to extend emergency assistance totaling about 175 million yen funded by the government for the activities carried out by two JPF-affiliated NGOs to support the full-scale repatriation of Liberian refugees and internally displaced persons, following the first and second assistance activities carried out from the last April. The assistance for Liberia through the JPF now amounts to approximately 453 million yen in total.

(1)	Peace Winds Japan Peace Winds Japan will construct shelters for about 1,000 households of refugees and the internally displaced persons in Liberia who are expected to return to Foya and Kolahun in Lofa County, and will also repair and improve bridges in the region. (Scale of operation: about 105 million yen)
(2)	World Vision Japan World Vision Japan will construct or repair public toilets and wells in Porkpa and Tewor in Grand Cape Mount County, and also repair roads and bridges. (Scale of operation: about 70 million yen)

In Liberia, the United Nations' peacekeeping operation (UNMIL: United Nations Mission in Liberia) began its nationwide operation, following the signing of a peace agreement in August 2003 which brought the end of the civil war that had continued since 1989. Although the repatriation of Liberian refugees and internally displaced persons by the UNHCR began in October 2004, the operation is running very late compared with the initial plan. In this assistance, aid will be targeted at the regions where needs are especially high, with a view to promoting assistance for the repatriation and resettlement of the refugees and internally displaced persons in these regions.
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 her stability in the West African region. In April last year, Mr. Keitaro Sato, Ambassador in Charge of Conflict and Refugee-related Issues in Africa, visited Liberia and appealed for the consolidation of peace. At the International Reconstruction Conference on Liberia last year, the Government of Japan defined the following as priority fields in its assistance for the peace process in Liberia: (1) Human security, (2) Assistance for the DDRR (Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration) Program, (3) Humanitarian assistance for refugees and returnees, (4) Assistance for the NGOs. Based on this policy, Japan has implemented reconstruction assistance for Liberia steadily and proactively mainly through international organizations, which amounted to about 12 million dollars in total in 2004 alone, and this assistance is highly valued by the international community including Liberia.
These activities of Japanese NGOs for conflict victims implemented by the JPF will realize the support policy for the consolidation of peace in Liberia and are expected to enhance the "greater visibility of Japanese assistance".

(END)

Back to Index