Politics & Government

ASDF plane leaves to carry supplies for Ukrainians

The Yomiuri Shimbun
ASDF members prepare to board a C-2 transport aircraft in Iruma, Saitama Prefecture, on Sunday.

Jiji Press

17:34 JST, May 1, 2022

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A Japanese Air Self-Defense Force C-2 transport plane Sunday left the ASDF’s Iruma base in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, to transport relief supplies for Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion.

The transporter is the first plane to operate on the mission. It will pick up humanitarian relief supplies at the United Arab Emirates and carry them to Poland.

Japan will conduct the mission under its law on cooperation with U.N. peacekeeping operations, in response to a request from the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

This is the sixth time for SDF aircraft to transport goods as part of international humanitarian relief activity and the first since 2003, when assistance was extended to displaced Iraqis.

SDF aircraft will transport supplies once a week until the end of June, delivering the UNHCR’s supplies, such as blankets, sheets and kitchen sets, from the UAE to Poland and Romania, where many displaced Ukrainians are staying.