Pokémon Company donated 100 million yen to Kumamoto Prefecture, the Japanese Red Cross, and other relief groups after Kumamoto’s July 28 6.8-magnitude earthquake, while YOSHIKI personally gave 10 million yen to the Japanese Red Cross; he also contributed 100,000 euros to the French and Spanish Red Cross to aid wildfire relief in Europe amid a heatwave, as casualties rose and evacuations continued in Japan and wildfires burned across Europe.
UNICEF has delivered over 80 tonnes of medical supplies, including medicines, medical equipment, and surgical kits, to Kabul to aid children, pregnant women, and families affected by recent earthquakes in Herat, western Afghanistan. The supplies, funded by the Asian Development Bank, will benefit around 43,000 families and include treatment for children with acute watery diarrhea. UNICEF is also transporting 300 High Performance Tents for various purposes. Urgent additional funding is needed to support 96,000 children affected by the earthquakes. The earthquakes have resulted in nearly 1,500 deaths, with women and children accounting for 90% of the casualties. UNICEF has already provided water and sanitation supplies, safe water, winter clothing, health services, and cash assistance to affected communities. The relief efforts come as Afghanistan faces a harsh winter, drought, and high levels of child malnutrition. UNICEF aims to reach over 200,000 people, including 96,000 children, in the most devastated areas of Herat province over the next three months.
Architect Shigeru Ban has offered his expertise in disaster relief to Morocco following a tragic earthquake. Known for his innovative and sustainable designs, Ban's assistance could help in rebuilding efforts and providing much-needed support to the affected areas.
Iran and its proxy groups have been smuggling weapons into Syria disguised as aid shipments sent after a devastating earthquake earlier this year, according to a classified US intelligence assessment. The weapons, including small arms, ammunition, and drones, were brought in convoys from Iraq organized by Iran-backed militias and the Quds Force. The report also said the aid shipments were complicating Israel’s targeting of arms deliveries for Iranian proxies. The United States has about 900 troops in posts across northeastern Syria to keep pressure on the remnants of the Islamic State group and support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
