The Japanese government has announced an emergency grant of $10 million to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria. The decision, made on October 29, comes in response to the escalating crisis in the region, exacerbated by the situation in Lebanon.
The grant will fund humanitarian assistance in critical areas such as essential supplies, food, water, sanitation, and hygiene. This aid will be implemented through various international organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), and other UN agencies.
Japan’s support will be distributed across different sectors, with $6 million allocated to UNHCR for non-food items, shelter, and protection, $2 million to WFP for food assistance, $1 million to UNICEF for water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives, and $1 million to the United Nations Development Programme for waste management.
In addition to providing financial aid, the Japanese government is calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Japan urges all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint and make sincere efforts towards a diplomatic resolution to prevent further deterioration of the regional situation.
This emergency grant underscores Japan’s commitment to international humanitarian efforts and its role in addressing the Syrian crisis, which has resulted in over 400,000 deaths and the displacement of 6.7 million people since 2011. The recent influx of more than 420,000 Syrians and Lebanese into Syria since September 20, 2024, has further strained the already dire humanitarian situation in the country.