Japan to provide $7m emergency grant

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The government of Japan’s emergency relief goods, tents and plastic sheets were handed over to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at the Jinnah International Airport Karachi, said a statement issued on Tuesday.

The relief aid was delivered by Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Pakistan Kinoshita Yasumitsu in the presence of Odagiri Toshio Consul-General of Japan in view of a request made from the government of Pakistan to the government of Japan.

The first batch of the goods which was handed over earlier on August 31 was distributed in Balochistan province. Odagiri stated that Japan was deeply saddened by the widespread damage in Pakistan caused by the unprecedented flooding which had surpassed even the devastating floods of 2010 and hoped that those goods would be of some help to the victims.

In addition, he mentioned that there was a high demand for food, water and medicine in the affected areas and the United Nations had issued an appeal for assistances. Therefore, the Japan will continue to work closely with the Pakistan and the Embassy of Japan the Consulate-General of Japan and JICA will cooperate with each other to respond to the situation. He expressed his sincere condolences to the victim families who had lost precious lives and their loved ones.

Muhammad Muazzam Zaman Representative of NDMA explained the situation in various areas affected by the disaster and the ongoing relief efforts by the Pakistani government and stated that they were grateful to Japan for providing relief assistance and would ensure provision of those supplies to the flood victims.

Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Hayashi Yoshimasa said that the government of Japan was planning to provide emergency assistance of $7 million to Pakistan, in response to the devastating flooding nationwide.

According to a news release issued by the Japanese Embassy in Pakistan here Tuesday, the Japanese minister for Foreign Affairs said, the epochal levels of rain and flooding have wiped away over a thousand precious lives, destroying critical infrastructure and disrupting the primary social institutions and livelihoods, adding that millions of people were left without homes and their hopes and dreams were shattered.