Japan to allot P8.6 million for ICRC's operating expenses in RP

Japan intends to allot some P8.6 million for the operating expenses of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Philippines for 2010, the Japanese Embassy in Manila said. The allotment — which will be used to provide humanitarian relief to victims of conflicts — is also expected to form part of Tokyo’s contribution for assistance in Mindanao, one of the three main pillars of Japan’s Official Development Assistance for the Philippines. The contribution will help defray some of the ICRC’s operating expenses in the Philippines, which will reach P141.5 million this year For this year, ICRC in the Philippines intends to focus on providing "protection and assistance to vulnerable populations adversely affected by internal armed conflicts and other situations of violence," the Japanese Embassy said. "This includes direct assistance to the most vulnerable IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) and residents in Central Mindanao with food and non-food items, as well as improving access to healthcare, water and sanitation in Mindanao and parts of the Visayas," it added, saying that the ICRC will determine specific ways of utilizing the Japanese contribution. For 2010, the ICRC will also support national authorities in solving humanitarian problems in detention, and maintain long-term programs aiming at promoting international humanitarian law among the authorities, the arms carriers and civil society. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV