Japan will provide an additional $5 million in assistance to Lebanon to help rebuild homes and key infrastructure damaged during Israel's recent war to drive Hezbollah militants from southern Lebanon, senior Vice Foreign Minister Katsutoshi Kaneda said Thursday.
The latest aid brings the total amount of Japan's aid to Lebanon involving this conflict to $7 million, after it decided last month to provide $2 million in emergency assistance, according to Foreign Ministry officials.
"The international community must work in complete solidarity to quickly improve the situation in Lebanon," Kaneda said in a speech at a conference of international donors for Lebanon's recovery.
He said that Japan "intends to contribute to achieving the stability of Lebanon as part of the overall efforts to realize peace in the Middle East."
The earlier aid pledged and disbursed was in response to a U.N. appeal to the international community to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon, the officials said.
Of the $5 million, $3 million will be used to address environmental concerns as part of efforts to help in Lebanon's recovery efforts, Kaneda said.
The remaining $2 million will be provided to the U.N. Trust Fund for Human Security.