Japan to offer $300,000 humanitarian aid to Ukraine

Japan will provide emergency grant aid of USD 300,000 to Ukraine for the improvement of the humanitarian situation in the eastern region of the country, the Foreign Ministry announced Friday.
The aid will be offered through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the ministry said in a statement.
In addition to the political crisis since November, separatists have intensified activities in the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk regions since early April and battles between the separatists and the Ukraine government have been staged. "Under such circumstances, increase in refugees from the eastern Ukraine and the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation have been reported," the ministry said.
"Japan hopes that the grant aid contributes to the stabilization of Ukraine through this cooperation," it added. In June, Japan also provided about USD 270,000 of emergency grant aid for internally displaced people in Ukraine.