JAPAN INCREASES EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR DROUGHT-AFFLICTED

UNCLAS TOKYO 001710 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EAID JA AFR SUBJECT: JAPAN INCREASES EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR DROUGHT-AFFLICTED AFRICAN STATES REFTEL: STATE 070789 ¶1. USAID Counselor delivered reftel demarche to Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General Akira Yamada urging Japan to consider increased emergency and humanitarian assistance for Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Fully aware and concerned about drought conditions and food emergencies in the Horn of Africa region, Deputy DG Yamada outlined the following assistance Japan is providing to these nations above and beyond food security and long-term development commitments. In March 2009, Japan provided a total of $16 million to the three countries through World Food Programme (WFP) (Kenya: $5 million, Somalia: $5 million, and Ethiopia: $6 million). In June, Japan also provided through WFP help for port reconstruction and rehabilitation in Somalia to facilitate assistance shipments to the region. Earlier this month, the Government of Japan (GOJ) also decided to augment again humanitarian assistance to region, increasing $6.5 million to Kenya directly and $7.18 million through WFP for Ethiopia. ¶2. Japan shares U.S. view on the need for stepped-up emergency assistance given the severity of the crisis, but underscores that the real solution to overcoming the frequent food emergencies in the region is to increase and improve both local food productivity and distribution. In this vein, Deputy DG Yamada highlighted the importance of the new Africa Food Security initiative and the increased support from both Japan and the United States for infrastructure, capacity building, and agricultural production on the continent. ZUMWALT