ニュース 2008/12/16 Next Minister of Foreign Affairs Hachiro and DPJ Member Kondo Petition Minister of Foreign Affairs Nakasone to Provide Emergency Aid to Afghanistan On the evening of December 16, Next Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshio Hachiro and House of Representatives member Shoichi Kondo visited Minister of Foreign Affairs Hirofumi Nakasone at the Foreign Ministry to submit a petition in connection with the UN-Afghanistan government Joint Emergency Appeal. In July this year, the UN and the Government of Afghanistan issued a Joint Emergency Appeal for sufficient funding for food aid. The DPJ Petition requested that the Japanese government provide funding for that appeal and also for the Afghanistan branch of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). After presenting the petition, both members held a press conference inside the Diet where Kondo pointed out that during debate over the anti-terrorism special measures bill, which will allow Japan to continue providing fuel to the US navy [operating in Indian Ocean as part of OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom)], the government said that provision of fuel and humanitarian assistance should take place side by side. Kondo said that while the government had been supporting Afghanistan in various ways the petition demands that the government take specific action to address the Joint Emergency Appeal. Kondo said that the government should act as quickly as possible to provide funding, pointing out that international NGOs are also appealing for assistance, as winter has begun in Afghanistan, several million people are suffering from food shortages and several tens of thousands of people may lose their lives. Hachiro said that Nakasone had shown a degree of receptiveness to the proposal by responding that he would consult with finance authorities. Hachiro added, "The DPJ believes that Japan should provide 'water and not fuel'. In other words, we should provide reconstruction assistance and humanitarian assistance to help Afghanistan to achieve self-sufficiency in its food supply". The DPJ believes that with crop prices rising and drought ongoing, Japan should provide financial support for Afghanistan and support for the local office op UNOCHA in line with the leadership shown by the UN which has resolved to tackle this issue. Download (Japanese) Petition in Connection with the UN-Afghanistan Government Joint Emergency Appeal http://www.dpj.or.jp/news/files/moushiire081216.pdf