News

WFP welcomes US$60 million donation from Japan to fellow Asians

Published on 17 January 2005

Yokohama WFP welcomes "the most generous" contribution from the Government of Japan to WFP\'s emergency operation to assist people affected by the tsunami. The donation of US$60 million, confirmed today, is the largest single contribution made by a donor country to WFP\'s US$256 million emergency appeal, which incorporates emergency food aid and logistics support for six months.

WFP WELCOMES US$60 MILLION DONATION FROM JAPAN TO FELLOW ASIANS

YOKOHAMA - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed "the most generous" contribution from the Government of Japan to WFP's emergency operation to assist people affected by the tsunami. The donation of US$60 million, confirmed today, is the largest single contribution made by a donor country to WFP's US$256 million emergency appeal, which incorporates emergency food aid and logistics support for six months.

"This most generous, swift donation from Japan will allow us to deliver the desperately needed food aid quickly," said Mihoko Tamamura, Director of WFP Office in Japan. "Many people have lost everything, including their homes and livelihoods, so this timely contribution will be extremely valuable in helping fellow Asians get back on their feet. We would like to support vulnerable population including affected children."

US$50 million will be spent on emergency food aid for Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and other countries, and US$10 million is to be spent on building up logistics support.

WFP Executive Director, James T. Morris, will visit Japan from 18 to 20 January to attend the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, to deliver a statement on WFP's role in emergency preparedness and disaster reduction. He will take this opportunity to personally thank the Government of Japan for their most generous contribution.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: in 2003 we gave food aid to a record 104 million people in 81 countries, including 56 million hungry children.

WFP Global School Feeding Campaign For just 19 US cents a day, you can help WFP give children in poor countries a healthy meal at school -- a gift of hope for a brighter future.

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Kaoru Nemoto
WFP Japan

Mob: +81 90 9844 9990

Heather Hill

WFP Thailand

Mob: +66 1701 9208

Michael Huggins
WFP Indonesia

Tel: + 62 21 570 9004

Mob: +62 811 864383

Gerald Bourke
WFP Indonesia (Banda Aceh)

Mob: + 62 811 98 7360 or + 86 1380 1054051

Tel: + 62651 49841/40810

Jordan Dey
WFP Sri Lanka

Tel: + 9411 2586244

Mob: +1 202 4223383

Gregory Barrow
WFP London

Tel: +44 207 5929292

Mob: +44 7968 00847

Caroline Hurford
WFP Rome

Tel: + 3906 65132330

Mob: + 393481325018

Trevor Rowe
WFP New York

Tel: +1 212 963 5196

Mob: +1 646 8241112

rowe@un.org

Christiane Berthiaume
WFP/Geneva

Tel: + 41229178581

Mob: + 4179 774 3921

Visit our website: www.wfp.org.

To access WFP's up-to-the-minute maps on the tsunami crisis, go to www.hewsweb.org.

For detailed information on air operations and other logistical activities, visit www.unjlc.org
Tel: + 662 659 8690