ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In contributions to demining efforts in Iraqi areas liberated from the Islamic State, Japan recently allocated an additional USD 1.625 million to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
UNMAS “welcomes an additional contribution of USD 1,625,000 from the Government of Japan to further mitigate the threat posed by explosive hazards in support of the provision, facilitation, and enablement of humanitarian and stabilization support,” the service said in a statement.
Explosives the terrorist organization planted continue to be one of the most significant issues that impede the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their homes.
The current proportion of displaced Iraqis is estimated to be around five percent of the total population. The numbers reached as high as 10 percent from 2014 through 2016, as the Islamic State took and maintained control over large swaths of territory in the country.
“Japan has recently decided a new assistance package for Iraq amounting to USD 63 million, which includes this project as a contribution to explosive hazard management,” Naofumi Hashimoto, Ambassador of Japan to Iraq, was quoted as saying in a statement by UNMAS.
UNMAS added that Hashimoto “reiterated Japan’s continued support for Iraq’s reconstruction efforts, notably through humanitarian and stabilization assistance to help displaced people return to their communities.”
Japan’s assistance to crisis-affected peoples in Iraq has totaled 500 million USD so far, the ambassador has previously said. The USD 63 million package includes contributions to projects in support of children, women, IDPs, returnees, and Syrian refugees.
The Japanese contribution “will support UNMAS explosive hazard management activities in Iraq,” continued UNMAS, adding that the agency “implements a strategic, comprehensive response to mitigate the risks posed by explosive hazards through three primary areas: explosive hazard management, capacity enhancement, and risk education.”
It is also complemented with a Japanese-sponsored “risk education event” for IDPs entitled “Safe Run,” which highlights “correct behaviors to adopt when encountering explosive hazards.”
Editing by Nadia Riva