Japan-Syria Relations
Statement by Yasuhide Nakayama State Minister for Foreign Affairs at the Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria
March 31, 2015
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Amir of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti government for hosting this conference. Also, my tribute goes to Secretary-General of the United Nations and the UN agencies for their tenacious efforts to hold this Conference.
I wish to express my heart-felt gratitude to the international community which has conveyed to us messages of condolences and strong solidarity regarding the Murder of Japanese hostages and the Terrorist Attack in Tunisia.
Without any sign of stopping deterioration of humanitarian situation in Syria, it is necessary for the international community to continue to provide assistance to more than 10 million Syrian refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, and host communities.
In order to respond to such humanitarian situation, Japan had provided humanitarian assistance totaling more than 400 million US dollars to Syria and its neighboring countries by the end of 2014. This assistance includes not only short-term assistance in the field of public health, sanitation and food, but also medium and long-term assistance for empowerment of women and children, and education.
In this year, Japan, for some time to come, will implement the following assistance, including assistance which Japan already announced. This brings the total of Japan''s humanitarian assistance to Syria and its neighboring countries in this year to about 509 million US dollars.
- Humanitarian Assistance of about 116 million US dollars to Syrian refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and host communities etc. in areas such as food, public health and sanitation, education and protection of women and children, which are as a part of approximately 200 million US dollars announced by Mr. Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, in Cairo in January this year
For further expanding this humanitarian assistance,
- Emergency grant aid of 6 million US dollars to provide winterization non-food items and additional foods for Syrian refugees and Internally Displaced Persons affected by Cold Wave
- Non-Project Grant Aid of about 16.7 million US dollars for Jordan to procure medical equipments
- Yen loans of about 370 million US dollars to improve infrastructure in local communities in Turkey affected by the influx of Syrians
Japan keeps its word. Japan, in cooperation with the international community, will steadily implement the above-mentioned additional assistance and will continue both humanitarian assistance and contribution to the political dialogue in parallel like the two wheels of a cart.