Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Saturday $2.5 billion in humanitarian and development aid for the Middle East as he launched a regional tour that includes visits to Jordan and Israel. In a speech in Cairo, Abe pledged $200 million in non-military assistance for countries affected by the Islamic State (IS) group's bloody expansion in Iraq and Syria, which spurred an exodus of refugees to neighbouring countries.
"Japan will newly carry out assistance of 2.5bn US dollars in non-military fields including humanitarian assistance and infrastructure development, intended for the entire region," Abe said, according to an official transcript. Speaking to Egyptian politicians and businessmen, he said Japan would "provide assistance for refugees and displaced persons from Iraq and Syria". "I will pledge assistance of a total of about 200m US dollars for those countries contending with ISIL, to help build their human capacities, infrastructure, and so on," he added.
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