The Government of Japan has provided Emergency Relief Assistance Items consisting of 100 Tents and 500 Blankets, worth 10 million Japanese Yen which is approximately equivalent to 190 Thousand Fiji Dollars (FJ$190,000) to the victims of Hurricane Tomas in Fiji. The Ambassador of Japan, H. E. Mr. Yutaka Yoshizawa will hand over the items to the Representative of the Government of the Republic of the Fiji Islands at the National Disaster Management Office Warehouse (Top yard) in Walu Bay, Suva at 10am, on Wednesday 31st March 2010. The Fiji Government Representative will receive the items on behalf of the victims of Hurricane Tomas in Fiji. The Resident Representative of JICA Fiji, Mr Juichiro Sasaki will also be present at the handing over ceremony.

The Government and the people of Japan have long shared a strong friendship with the Government and people of Fiji, and such friendship together with Japan’s compassion for the victims of Hurricane Tomas has resulted in the provision of the relief items.

The Government and people of Japan hope that with the strong determination and resilience of the people of Fiji, combined with the support of the State and the international community, Fiji will be able to make a quick recovery from the suffering and destruction caused by the Hurricane Tomas.