Japan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Measures in Response to the Terrorist Attacks in the United States
October 4, 2001
Since the September 19th announcement by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of "Japan's Measures in Response to the Terrorist Attacks in the United States," the Government of Japan has undertaken concerted efforts to determine what specific steps are to be taken. In this context, Japan has decided to provide assistance to displaced persons and emergency economic assistance for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as follows.

Some of these steps are to be officially decided upon at the Cabinet meeting on October 5th.

1. Refugee Assistance

    (a) Transport of Relief Materials and Refugee Assistance by the Self-Defense Forces (To be decided upon at the October 5th Cabinet meeting)

    Based on a request from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Government of Japan will provide tents, blankets and other materials for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. These materials are to be transported to Pakistan by C-130H aircrafts of the Air Self-Defense Forces.

    The aircrafts are scheduled to leave the Komaki Air Base on October 6th, arrive in Pakistan on October 9th and return to the Komaki Air Base on October 12th.


    (b) Assistance Through International Institutions (Not Related to the October 5th Cabinet meeting)

    On September 27th, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan issued a Donor Alert, stating that in "the worst-case scenario" a total of $584 million would be needed for humanitarian assistance for the next six months. In response to that Donor Alert, the Government of Japan has decided on the following contribution measures, to be announced at the Forum on Afghan Refugees and Displaced Populations, which is held in Geneva by the U.N. agencies on October 5th-6th.


      (1) Japan is prepared to provide up to $120 million (approximately 14.5 billion yen), which is approximately 20% of the total funding requirements in response to specific funding requests, with a view to supporting the refugee assistance efforts undertaken by U.N. agencies and other humanitarian organizations.

      (2) As part of the above assistance, Japan will provide $6 million (approximately 700 million yen, which is approximately 20% of the emergency appeal ($29 million) for the coming two months by the UNHCR.

2. Delivery of Emergency Economic Assistance for Pakistan
(To be decided upon at the October 5th Cabinet meeting)

Following the September 19 announcement stated at the beginning, the Government of Japan decided to take measures to provide emergency economic assistance for Pakistan on September 21 in the form of 4.7 billion yen ($40 million) in bilateral assistance (refugee assistance and emergency budgetary assistance to the needed), official debt rescheduling, and assistance through international financial institutions. For the quick delivery of this assistance to the needed, immediately after the October 5th Cabinet decision, exchanges of notes concerning an Emergency budgetary Assistance and an Official Debt Rescheduling are scheduled to take place in Islamabad between H.E. Mr. Sadaaki Numata, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan and Pakistani Minister for Finance H.E. Mr. Shaukat Aziz on the following:

    (a) Bilateral Assistance

      (1) Emergency budgetary Assistance
      3 billion yen ($28 million) non-project grant aid

      (2) Refugee Assistance
      $7.5 million (approx. 800 million yen) emergency grant aid

      (note)
      - Additional 200 million yen will be included in Japan's $6 million provision to the UNHCR. (1(b)(2))
      - The rest of 1.7 billion yen Japan's refugee assistance is expected to be provided as grass-root grant aid and food aid.


    (b) Official Debt Rescheduling (64.6 billion yen, approx. $550 million)

END