General News

Fund created to support Ukrainian evacuees in Japan

Courtesy of the Nippon Foundation
Evacuees from Ukraine sit at a press conference held in Tokyo on Monday to announce the launch of the Ukrainian Evacuees Assistance Fund. In the back row are, from left, Nippon Foundation Executive Director Jumpei Sasakawa, Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:13 JST, June 14, 2022

Donations are now being accepted for the Ukrainian Evacuees Assistance Fund to support people who fled to Japan due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The fund was established Monday by the Nippon Foundation, which aims to collect ¥1 billion. The money will be used for such support as distributing daily commodities, providing scholarships to study Japanese, and holding events for Ukrainians to interact with local residents.

Donations will be accepted until Sept. 30, mainly through the fund’s website at

https://adv.yomiuri.co.jp/m-data/english/index.html

“Even a small donation will convey your support,” said Jumpei Sasakawa, executive director of the Nippon Foundation at a press conference on Monday. “We want to fully utilize [the money] for the evacuees.”

The U.S. Embassy, which has been supporting Ukrainian evacuees in Japan by providing public transportation cards and other forms of assistance, had called on the Nippon Foundation and other entities to create a fund.

Monday’s press conference was also attended by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky.