In addition to the regular activities at our project sites, JVC offers temporary assistance to those countries or areas where emergency aid is required. In 2022, we conducted emergency assistance in three countries, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Syria. In Afghanistan, we supported the activities of a local NGO working on girls’ education. In South Sudan, we provided emergency support to evacuees from village attacks. During the Turkey-Syria earthquake, we delivered aid to the Syrian side, where aid is difficult to reach.

Afghanistan

Not Closing off Educational Opportunities Even During Protracted Turmoil

Through the former Taliban regime (1996-2001), which prohibited girls’ education, literacy rates remained low especially in rural areas. This was due to lack of facilities and teachers, weak educational administration, economic infrastructure, and declining interest in education. After the collapse of the Taliban regime, girls’ education was temporarily implemented, but the new Taliban administration started in 2021 announced a policy to restrict girls’ education again. So, we have decided to temporarily support the expansion of educational opportunities through literacy classes run by “Your Voice Organization (YVO)”, our partner organization established by locally incorporating the former JVC Afghanistan office.

Management of literacy classes and training of literacy teachers

In response to the deterioration of the situation and restrictions on bank remittances from overseas due to international sanctions, we temporarily supported literacy classes (reading, writing, and simple calculation) in two districts (Rodat and Pachir Aw Agam) of Nangarhar Province with our partner, YVO. We held nine-month literacy classes, and at the end of the course, we issued certificates that the students had received education equivalent to third grade at a regular elementary school. In addition to 30 people learning in each classroom, we also provided literacy teacher training for local communities.

Voices and Messages

More learning opportunities for girls

Literacy class participant

I attended a literacy class because I wanted to gain strength for the development of my country and my family’s finances. My family wanted a literacy class for girls, so they were happy to support my study. Literacy skills are important for judging whether things are good or bad, knowing about one’s rights, and getting job opportunities. I wish more girls had the chance to learn.

I want to spread the importance of girls’ education

Abdul Wahab, Vice representative of YVO

Since the regime changed in Afghanistan, many difficulties have continued in the education sector. In order to start this literacy classes, we worked together with the authorities and had many discussions. In addition to providing literacy education, I feel that it is more important to raise awareness of the importance of girls’ education. We are deeply grateful for the cooperation of the Japanese people as we contribute to solving the difficult problems in our country.

South Sudan

Investigation of the Problems in Resource Development and Implementation of Emergency Support (photo: distribution of tarpaulin sheets)

Even after the peace agreement signed in 2018, one-third of the population of South Sudan are living as evacuees due to unstable security situation and flooding. National finances depend on oil revenues, but oil field development has had a serious impact on residents. In the oil-rich Unity state, residents have been violently grabbed their land and have suffered environmental and health damage from oil and pollutant spills. Furthermore, the situation has worsened by the spread of pollutants due to floods since 2019, and many miscarriages and birth defects have been reported. Attacks on civilians occurred due to local conflicts, and 100,000 people forced to flee from their homes in April 2022.

Impact of oil field development on residents and providing emergency support to evacuees from village attacks

In addition to researching literature on the impacts of oil field development on residents, we collected information through field research in Unity State and visits to NGOs and local media in the capital Juba. During field research, we visited a wide range of locations, including Bentiu, the capital of Unity State, the nearby Unity oil field, and central Leer, where large-scale attacks on villages by armed groups occurred. We confirmed the complex damage caused by oil pollution, flooding, and conflict. We will continue to investigate the impact of pollution from oil fields in fiscal year of 2023. Because the large-scale attack occurred just before the field survey, we changed the schedule and interviewed the evacuees. In response to the situation where even food and basic daily necessities are in short supply, we decided to provide emergency support after consulting with our local partner NGO, Mobile Humanitarian Agency (MHA). We distributed 500 tarpaulin sheets to protect people from wind and rain, especially for households consisting of only mothers and children.

Syria

Emergency Support for Areas Affected by Both Conflict and Earthquake (Aleppo right after the earthquake, photo by Kurdish Red Crescent Society)

In the early morning of February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred with its epicenter northwest of Gaziantep, Turkey. It caused severe damage in Turkey and Syria and the death toll was reported to exceed 50,000. The epicenter was close to the border between Turkey and Syria, and in addition to Turkish people, there were also many Syrian refugees who had fled to Turkey. The Syrian people, who have been exhausted by the conflict that has continued since 2011, are exposed to the further humanitarian crisis.

In places where aid is most difficult to reach

At the end of February 2023, we decided to provide emergency support to Syria until the end of August 2023. During fiscal year of 2022, we collaborated with the Kurdish Red Crescent Society, which actively works in the disaster area, through a Japanese NGO, JIM-NET. We further looked for possibilities to collaborate with local organizations that work in the areas where aid is more difficult to reach. We thus selected Supporting & Empowering Women’s Advancement & Rights (SEWAR), a local NGO based in Turkey that supports women in Syria. We are planning to distribute food packages such as beans and pasta, kits for women, and hygiene kits as well as to implement mental care after disasters in fiscal year of 2023.

[Source: JVC Annual Report 2022]

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