Press Release on May 29, 2008
Food Aid worth of 600 million yen (equivalent to 5.7 million US dollars) to the UNRWA
- Ambassador's remarks
- Arabic press release (MS Word file)
Quick glance at the project
- The procured wheat flour and pulses under this food aid are planned to be distributed to around 340,000 Palestine refugees in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan
- Japan’s assistance to the Palestinian people through UNRWA, which began in 1953, has amounted to more than 543 million US dollars including Food Aid provided since 1970.
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On May 23, 2008, the Government of Japan decided to extend a grant as Food Aid worth of 600 million yen (equivalent to 5.7 million US dollars) to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Notes to this effect were exchanged on Thursday, May 29, 2008 at the UNRWA Amman H.Q. in Jordan between H.E. Mr. Shigenobu Kato, Ambassador of Japan, and H.E. Ms. Karen Koning AbuZayd, Commissioner-General of UNRWA. Representing the Host countries for the Palestine refugees, Mr. Wajeeh Azayzeh, Director General of the Department of Palestinian Affairs attended the signing ceremony. The grant will be used for the purchase of wheat flour and pulses.
While there is no solution in sight for the issue of the Palestine refugee, the living conditions in the Gaza Strip have been deteriorating and reaching to a point of humanitarian crisis due to the economic sanction against the Gaza Strip imposed by Israel since Hamas controlled in June, 2007, which has significantly limited the commodity and energy supply there. The unemployment rate went up to about 40% as of last September. Under this situation, the refugees are obliged to live a more difficult life. To address this situation and mitigate the hardship of the refugees, Japan decided to implement this food aid as humanitarian assistance in response to the request of UNRWA.
The procured wheat flour and pulses under this food aid are planned to be distributed to around 340,000 Palestine refugees in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan with the emphasis on the most vulnerable refugees of Special Hardship Cases (especially in the Gaza Strip). This food aid to UNRWA provided by the people of Japan is expected to alleviate the hardship of the Palestine refugees.
Japan’s assistance to the Palestinian people through UNRWA, which began in 1953, has amounted to more than 543 million US dollars including Food Aid provided since 1970. In the fiscal year of 2007, Japan provided 13.7 million US dollars in total to UNRWA including Food Aid and Emergency Assistance. This food aid is a part of the additional humanitarian assistance package of around 11 million US dollars mainly for Gaza, which is included in the pledge of 150 million US dollar announced by Japan at the Paris Conference last December.
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