The Government of Japan has decided to extend food aid totaling 1.385 billion yen (approximately US$12.9 million) through the World Food Programme (WFP) to countries and regions which have an influence on regional peace and stability, or countries in need of food being in a fragile transitional stage. Notes to this effect were exchanged on March 17 (Fri) in Rome between Mr. Yuji Nakamura, Japanese Ambassador to Italy, and Mr. James Morris, Executive Director of the WFP.
The breakdown of this assistance is as follows:
(1) For vulnerable persons in Bangladesh (500 million yen)
(2) For vulnerable persons in Timor-Leste (100 million yen)
(3) For vulnerable persons in Nicaragua (135 million yen)
(4) For internally displaced persons and others in Afghanistan (350 million yen)
(5) For conflict-afflicted persons in the Mindanao region of the Philippines (140 million yen)
(6) Palestinian Administrated Areas (non-refugee residents) (160 million yen)
In Bangladesh, the population of 143 million people lives on a land that is about 40% of that of Japan, and 36% of them are living in poverty with an income of less than a dollar a day, facing food shortage and serious undernourishment. The percentage of under-weight children under five due to malnutrition is 52%, among highest in the world. WFP is implementing food distribution program with the aim of alleviating food shortage and improving nutrition. Japan attaches much attention to the fact that Bangladesh, a moderate and democratic Islamic country, is becoming the stabilizing force of the region, and it has decided to provide food aid through WFP.
In Timor-Leste, whose UNDP human development index ranks the lowest among the Asian countries, 45% of children aged under five are under-weight, and the infant mortality rate is eight to nine per 100. Because of the drought in two successive years, rural areas have been suffering from food shortage. WFP has been implementing a food distribution program targeting 150,000 vulnerable persons, including children aged under five, pregnant women and others. Japan has been extending support for the nation-building of Timor-Leste, from the viewpoint of contributing to stability of the Asia-Pacific region and it has decided to support the WFP's food distribution program from a humanitarian viewpoint and taking into account the weak state of food production.
In Nicaragua, the northern and northeastern parts of the country suffered major crop damage caused by heavy rains in May 2005. The maize harvest was 140,000 tons lower compared with the previous year because of the late start of the rainy season in 2004. This triggered a food shortage particularly in under-developed areas in the Central and North Atlantic Regions. Japan has decided to support the WFP's food distribution program targeting vulnerable groups such as undernourished children in Nicaragua.
As a result of the terrorist attack in the US on September 11 and the subsequent use of force against Afghanistan led by the US, Afghanistan's Taliban regime collapsed and the country started to make efforts toward peace and reconstruction. The international community recognized the importance of Afghanistan's becoming an orderly and stable country for the sake of peace worldwide. In Afghanistan, infant mortality rate is 11.5 out of 100 among which is the worst in the world. To alleviate such a food shortage, WFP has been distributing food among 120,000 internally-displaced persons and 1.5 million socially weak such as elementary students and tuberculosis patients. Recognizing that the peace and stability of Afghanistan is an important challenge for the stability of the world including Japan, Japan has decided to support WFP's food distribution program. This food aid is part of the pledged package of US$450 million (of those US$150 million to be implemented in near term) that Japan pledged at the London Conference on Afghanistan held at the end of January 2006.
In the Mindanao region of the Philippines, a 30-year-long conflict worsened the poverty and made the Philippines less attractive as an investment destination with its image of instability, thus hampering the economic development of the whole of the Philippines. In view of above, Japan announced a "Support Package for Peace and Stability in Mindanao" in December 2002 and has expressed a firm commitment to support the policy of the Government of the Philippines based on its priority to achieve development and stability of the Mindanao region. Since 2004, on the other hand, the anti-government groups and the Government of the Philippines made progress in preliminary peace talks on the Mindanao conflict, and in February 2006, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government consultations on almost all pending issues, and full-fledged peace negotiations are expected to start soon. WFP, in response to a request by the Government of the Philippines, is ready to start emergency food distribution program in the Mindanao region from June this year targeting 2.1 million people including returnees, ex-soldiers and conflict-afflicted people. Japan, which has consistently supported peace efforts in the Mindanao region, hopes to make contribution to alleviating the food shortage and also to political and economic stability of the region by providing food aid.
On the visit of President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to Japan in May 2005, Japan informed him of its policy to give all possible support to his peace efforts, and announced its intention to provide approximately 100 million dollars for the immediate future. The food aid decided today is part of the assistance package. As a result of the Election for the Palestinian Legislative Council held on January 25, 2006, Hamas gained a majority and became the leading party. While Japan is paying close attention to see if the new Palestinian Authority to be formed will make efforts for promoting the peace process, Japan has decided to provide this humanitarian assistance from the viewpoint of preventing further deterioration of Palestinians' living condition and thus of strengthening peace-oriented public opinion. WFP will distribute wheat flour to non-refugee Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, targeting socially vulnerable including orphans, aged people, undernourished children and others.
Throughout the world, 850 million people are suffering from food shortage caused by conflicts and such natural disasters as droughts. Of those, about 300 million are children. Every day 25,000 children, including 18,000 children aged under five, are dying from starvation. Hunger and food shortage is an important challenge that the world must tackle in concert. Food insecurity is closely related to political and economic stability of each region. Japan therefore wishes to continue extending significant contribution in close cooperation with the international community.
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