Japan pledges to extend 599,975 US dollars in grant to Norwegian People’s Aid mainly for the procurement of demining devices. On March 12, 2021, Ambassador OKUBO Takeshi signed a grant agreement with Mr. Simon Weatherbed, Country Director of Norwegian People’s Aid in Lebanon.
Norwegian People’s Aid is a well-known international NGO for its various humanitarian activities including post-conflict reconstruction and humanitarian relief during conflicts. The organization has so far delivered five demining projects across Lebanon under the financial support of Japan. Appreciating the organization’s exceptional performance through the previous projects, Japan will continuously support to finance the procurement of demining devices and bear the other cost necessary for the smooth demining operations in the village of Yarun, Bint Jbeil District, in Nabatieh Governorate. This grant assistance will benefit approximately 10,000 local populations, including Syrian refugees, in their safe access to farm land and is expected to improve the agricultural production in the area.
At the signing ceremony, Mr. Simon Weatherbed expressed his appreciation for Japan’s continuous support and stressed upon the significant impact of Japan’s aid in improving the human security across Lebanon. On the other hand, Ambassador Okubo commended the organization for its strong commitment to safeguarding the vulnerable people and its achievements in the area of landmine clearance. He also reaffirmed his determination to further contribute to facilitating landmine clearance in the country.
