TOKYO: Japan decided to extend emergency grant aid of $3.35 million (¥400 million) to the Gaza Strip, “where the humanitarian situation is significantly deteriorating due to the COVID-19 pandemic and floods,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on April 1 said. The humanitarian assistance for “vulnerable Palestinians” includes supporting patients with COVID-19 and providing healthcare services. Hayashi said it will be extended through the E-Health system, including primary healthcare, through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The foreign minister pledged Japan will continue to play an active role in improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. • This article originally appeared in Arab News Japan