E25.8 million food aid from Japan

MBABANE – The Government of Japan has extended food aid to Eswatini valued at E25.8 million.

Receiving the assistance, Minister of Economic Planning and Development Dr Tambo Gina said once again Japan had proved to be one of the country’s main development partners as it had not only supported Eswatini Government during this COVID-19 pandemic, but also supported the country’s poverty reduction and social stability endeavours, contributing over E145 million in just one financial year, 2020/2021.

Dr Gina said the existing technical cooperation between the two governments which was signed in 2011, had enabled Eswatini Government to make significant strides towards achieving some of the Sustainable Development Goals, such as poverty reduction, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education and clean water and sanitation.

Contribution

The minister said this contribution followed two others made by the Government of Japan to World Food Programme (WFP) Eswatini last year.

He said this year, 2021, was a special significant year for Japan and Eswatini as the two countries were celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

“Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we could not celebrate this milestone physically but celebrated virtually, as has become the norm,” said the minister.

He said they were looking forward to a possible physical ceremony to celebrate the partnership before the end of the year as a number of projects financed by the Government of Japan would be completed and officially handed over in this ceremony.

WFP Head of Office Deepak Shah said the targeted population will receive a monthly ration of 10kg cereal (rice and maize), 2kg beans and 0.5 kg of cooking oil per person over a period of six months.

He said these food contributions targeting 30 600 vulnerable households will be implemented from October 2021 to March 2022. In total WFP will procure 532 metric tonnes (MT) of Rice, 1255 MT of maize, 357 MT of beans and 89 MT of cooking oil for distribution in the response period.

Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom of Eswatini, said he was convinced that this donation would help meet the heightened need for food assistance during this unprecedented time.

“We would like to continue to contribute to the improvement of the basic livelihoods of vulnerable people in Eswatini,” said Maruyama.