Japan to Provide $5Mln for People in Syria's Besieged Areas

The Japanese government will allocate $5 million to support people living in mainly besieged and hard-to-reach areas in Syria, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said Monday.

The grant will be extended through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UN Mine Action Service of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UNMAS), according to the ministry.

"This emergency grant aid is to provide support such as providing food and non-food items, improving water, sanitation, health and medical care, as well as implementing risk education and clearance activities of explosive remnants of war (ERW) in besieged areas in Syria where urgent assistance is needed," the ministry's statement reads.

The decision to provide the financial assistance was taken on March 18. No details regarding the specific Syrian territories have been provided.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with the country’s government fighting numerous opposition factions and jihadist groups, including Daesh and Jabhat al-Nusra, both outlawed in many countries, including Russia.

On February 22, Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria. The ceasefire took effect on February 27 and is generally holding across the country despite reported minor violations.

The ceasefire is aimed at enabling international humanitarian assistance to reach besieged parts of Syria and ending violent clashes between government and opposition groups.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the civil war in Syria has left at least 250,000 people dead, and over a million injured. At least 13 million Syrians remain dependent on humanitarian assistance.