Monday, 25 March 2013 19:28 Mizzima News
The Japanese Ambassador Mikio Numata donated US$6.9 million on behalf of Japan to the UN refugee agency in Myanmar in an official ceremony in Naypyitaw on March 22.
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| A UNHCR member of staff discusses accommodation with colleagues and displaced people at the Ohn Taw Gyi IDP camp near Sittwe, capital of Rakhine state. (Photo: UNHCR/P. Behan) |
The ‘Programme for Assistance to Displaced Persons in Ethnic Minority Areas’ grant was part of a package of $215 million given by Japan to various UN agencies in Myanmar and has been earmarked to assist hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) across the country.
“This grant will make an enormous difference to the lives of many people who’ve lost their homes and livelihoods, through no fault of their own,” said Ayaki Ito, UNHCR deputy representative in Myanmar in a statement.
“This extremely generous donation will help us to support approximately 220,000 displaced people and provide them with improved shelter, access to healthcare and water. It will also allow us to better support the most vulnerable among the populations,” said Ito.
There are currently estimated 430,000 IDPs in Myanmar, many in the conflict-effected Kachin and Rakhine States.
According to a statement by the Japanese Embassy, Japan granted Myanmar more than $273 million in development aid in 2012.
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