Responding to Myanmar Earthquake, The Nippon Foundation to Provide $3 Million in Humanitarian Aid
Published on April 10, 2025
The Nippon Foundation has decided to provide the equivalent of $3 million (roughly 450 million yen) worth of emergency assistance, including food and medical supplies, to Myanmar, which was hit by a massive earthquake on March 28.
The foundation intends to deliver the aid quickly, in line with on-site needs, with coordination of what goods are to be delivered where being carried out primarily by The Nippon Foundation Myanmar Liaison Office in Yangon.
The following is the comment I issued on March 31 as chairman of The Nippon Foundation and Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for National Reconciliation in Myanmar:
“I would like to extend my deepest condolences to everyone who has been affected by the earthquake that struck Myanmar and surrounding areas.
Beginning with projects to eliminate leprosy in the country, The Nippon Foundation has been working in Myanmar for roughly 50 years, providing assistance in various fields including human resource development, health and sanitation, education, personnel exchanges, and support for people with disabilities.
As Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for National Reconciliation in Myanmar, I have been working to achieve peace in the country since 2013. I plan to go to Myanmar from April 2 to assess the situation and to ensure that assistance can be distributed to areas that are engaged in conflict with the State Administrative Council (the military junta currently governing Myanmar). We will use the network that we have built through providing humanitarian assistance in the country to date to provide optimal support.”
I left Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) in the small hours of April 2, arriving in Myanmar via Thailand later in the day.