RAMALLAH, Thursday, March 14, 2019 (WAFA) - The Government of Japan has committed a new assistance for 2019 of $32,983,034 to the Palestinian people for projects to be carried out through mainly United Nations organizations and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), according to a press statement by the Representative Office of Japan to Palestine in Ramallah.
This new package, which will be disbursed for all projects by the end of March, includes assistance for Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) at the amount of over $17.7 million, most going for emergency response for humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip at a total of $13.2 million.
A total of $3.3 million will go for the installation of solar energy panels to mitigate the energy crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, in addition to urgent support for health and protection needs through, information and communication technology sector development, as well as employability and technical skills for resilient Palestinian youth through.
Other projects will also be implemented in partnership with various international organizations in collaboration with Japanese NGOs.
The philosophy of the new assistance lies in strengthening humanitarian assistance for refugees and internally displaced people, supporting social stabilization and de-radicalization through education and job creation for the youth, and promoting women’s health, to name a few, said the press statement.
“The Government of Japan is strongly committed to supporting the two-state solution through those humanitarian and developmental projects,” it said.
While the grand total for the Palestinian territories amounts to $27,706,249, the Government of Japan also provides UNRWA with an additional $5,276,784 to support Palestinian refugees in Lebanon for $580,357 and Syria for $4,696,427, bringing the total amount of the budget including these supports to $32, 983,034.
Japan has been providing assistance for the key ministries both financially and technically, in their preparation for statehood in line with Palestinian national development plans. Japan has also provided assistance through UN agencies as well as to local NGOs and local councils through grassroots development projects. With the new assistance, Japan’s total assistance since 1993 will reach approximately $1.9 billion.
M.K.
