Press Releases
Additional Humanitarian Assistance in Response to the Earthquake in Syria
May 16, 2023
On May 16, the Government of Japan decided to provide additional humanitarian assistance of approximately USD 14.3 million in response to the damages caused in Syria by the earthquakes that occurred in February. The details are as follows.
- The Government of Japan will implement humanitarian assistance for those seriously affected by the disaster in Syria, with an additional Emergency Grant Aid of USD 7.5 million, in areas such as non-food items, food, water and sanitation, and health and medical care through international organizations, namely the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
- The Government of Japan will also implement, in collaboration with the United Nations through the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Grant Aid "Project for the Integrated Support for Post-earthquake Early Recovery and Resilience-building in Aleppo and Latakia" with an amount of approximately USD 6.8 million (JPY 930 million).
This project is to implement assistance for the vulnerable people, including internally displaced persons, toward early recovery from the disaster by conducting damage assessments, developing early recovery plans with the participation of local residents and restoring high-priority public services in the areas which have a large number of affected people in Aleppo and Latakia. The project will help alleviate the humanitarian situation in Syria.
In this regard, Mr. KITAGAWA Hirohisa, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of Japan to the Republic of Kenya and Mr. Erfan Ali, Chief of Staff, Office of the Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) signed and exchanged notes on May 16 in UN-Habitat headquarters in Nairobi. - By providing the assistance above, the total amount of Japan’s humanitarian aid to Syria will be approximately USD 40 million, including the humanitarian aid of about USD 18.5 million and the provision of medical assistance of about USD 0.1 million through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which were decided in February, and the Grant Aid "Project for Enhancing Health Care Services (through WHO)" of about USD 6.1 million (JPY 662 million) and the assistance via Japan Platform (JPF) of about USD 1 million, which were decided in March. Japan will continue to provide humanitarian assistance needed by those affected by the disaster as well as support for the earliest possible recovery of the affected areas.
(Reference) Breakdown of the additional humanitarian assistance
- Emergency Grant Aid: USD 7.5 million
- United Nations World Food Programme (WFP): USD 2.2 million
Food - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): USD 1.5 million
Non-Food Items - International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): USD 1 million
Health and Medical Care, Protection - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): USD 1 million
Water and Sanitation - International Organization for Migration (IOM): USD 1 million
Non-Food Items - United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA): USD 0.8 million
Shelter, Livelihood Assistance
- United Nations World Food Programme (WFP): USD 2.2 million
- Grant aid (UN collaboration/implementation by UN-Habitat): JPY 930 million (approx. USD 6.8 million)
Assessment of earthquake damages, planning for early recovery from the disaster, restoration of public services, etc.