ReliefWeb

1. On December 22 (Wed), the Government of Japan decided to extend an emergency grant aid of 500,000 dollars to the Government of the Republic of Venezuela, which has sustained localized heavy rain. The grant aid is additional to the emergency aid materials (tents, blankets, towels, and soap) worth about 14,960,000 yen that was decided on December 17.

2. In Venezuela, the rain, which had been falling since December 11 in the areas along the Caribbean coast, developed to a torrential downpour from December 15 to 18. The Government of Venezuela announced on December 20 that 337 people were dead, 2,545 missing, and 331,164 affected. It is alleged that the number of the dead might be greater than the figure presently announced, and it seems that the disaster will be the worst in the history of Venezuela. The Government of Venezuela, while conducting relief operations of its own, has requested emergency aid from the international community including Japan.

3. The Government of Japan has decided to extend this emergency assistance from a humanitarian standpoint, in view of the seriousness of this disaster and the friendly relations between Japan and Venezuela.