Emergency Grant Aid to Internally Displaced Persons in Iraq and Iraqi refugees in Neighboring Countries, Syria and Jordan, for Humanitarian Assistance

November 6, 2007

The Government of Japan has decided to extend emergency grant aid of about 5.18 million dollars, about 600 million yen, for humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons in Iraq. Mr. Itsunori Onodera, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, announced the decision in his speech at the Second Expanded Ministerial Conference of Iraq’s Neighboring Countries of Iraq on Saturday, November 3. The aid consists of 1.18 million dollars to internally displaced persons in Iraq through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and about 4 million dollars to Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In Iraq, there are said to be about 2.2 million internally displaced persons caused by the serious security situation. Many of them only have limited access to primary medical services.
There are said to be about 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria and about 0.75 million in Jordan. Many of these refugees live in dire conditions, while lacking food, clothing and housing.
This emergency humanitarian aid is aimed at improving the living conditions of Iraqi internally displaced persons and refugees, who are suffering from the serious situation.

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