MANILA, July 28 — Japan on Friday vowed to extend USD2 million (around PHP101 million or 222,000,000 Japanese yen) in humanitarian grant aid to support relief operations for those affected by the ongoing fighting in Marawi City.
Its embassy in Manila said the assistance would be channeled through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
“Taking the strong bilateral ties between Japan and the Philippines into consideration, which are re-affirmed by Prime Minister Abe and President (Rodrigo) Duterte on a number of occasions, Japan has decided to extend the humanitarian grant aid to support the affected population in Mindanao,” it said in a statement.
Of the total amount of aid, the embassy said USD1.2 million that were allocated to WFP would be used to provide meals for the affected population and school meals for children in the affected areas.
The remaining USD800,000 that was earmarked to UNICEF would be utilized to support in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene.
Fighting in Marawi City has entered its third month after President Duterte placed Mindanao under martial law on May 23. (Leslie D. Venzon/PNA)
