Ramallah, Palestine – Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, announced that the Government of Japan has committed Japan’s new assistance of USD $78,210,200 to the Palestinian people through international organizations and Japanese NGOs, on the occasion of his meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on 15 th February in Tokyo, Japan.
This new assistance consists, according to the PNN, of a budget support (USD 20,000,000) through the World Bank’s Palestinian Reform and Development Plan (PRDP) Trust Fund and more than 14 projects in partnership with other international organizations and Japanese NGOs (Please see attached list of projects).
The new assistance focuses on:
1) support for Palestinian refugees suffering under severe conditions through UNRWA;
2) support for social stability of Palestine through a budget support with the World Bank;
3) support for internally displaced persons through Japanese NGOs;
4) support for the improvement of livelihood in health, water sanitation and education sectors in order to drive reconstruction of Gaza forward and then shift to development.
In addition to this new assistance, the Government of Japan will continue to contribute to Palestine’s economic development through Jericho Agro Industrial Park (JAIP) in close partnership with relevant individuals and ministries including the Palestinian Industrial Estates & Free Zones Authority, the Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Finance and Planning.4) support for the improvement of livelihood in health, water sanitation and education sectors in order to drive reconstruction of Gaza forward and then shift to development.
Japan has been supporting economic development efforts exerted by key ministries both financially and technically, to help prepare the Palestinian Authority for statehood in line with the P.A.’s national development plans.
It has also provided assistance through UN agencies including humanitarian assistance, as well as to local NGOs and local councils for their grassroots development projects. Japan’s assistance amounts to approximately USD 1.7 billion in total since 1993.
