Japanese Special Fund of the IDB donates $1.25 million in technical cooperation to help Mexico assess earthquake damage

The Government of Japan announced that it will provide $1.25 million in technical cooperation to support Mexico via the Japan Special Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in response to two earthquakes that hit the country in September.

The projects, which will be implemented by the IDB, include an infrastructure damage assessment for post-disaster reconstruction. The Japanese contribution will complement the IDB’s previously announced contribution of US$400,000 for emergency humanitarian aid.

IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno said that the contribution demonstrates Japan’s solidarity with the Mexican people.

“Japan is always ready to generously help our countries in Latin America and the Caribbean,” Moreno said. “I am sure that these projects will contribute to the ongoing efforts to carry out a sustainable and disaster-resistant reconstruction in Mexico.”

The first earthquake, which hit on Sept. 8 with an epicentre on the country’s Pacific coast, was the strongest earthquake recorded in more than a century in Mexico, and affected more than two million people, particularly in indigenous communities in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca.

The second earthquake, which occurred on Sept. 19, affected a large area in central Mexico, especially the states of Mexico, Morelos, Guerrero, Puebla and Mexico City. Dozens of victims have been reported, and hundreds of buildings were damaged.

About the Japan Special Fund

In 1988, the Government of Japan established the Japan Special Fund (JSF) to promote social and economic growth in borrowing member countries of the IDB. The JSF provides financing for technical cooperation activities. As of the end of 2016, the Government of Japan has contributed to the development of the LAC region with 551 JSF technical cooperation projects, totalling US$327 million, in all IDB borrowing member countries.

Original source: IDB
Published on 17 October 2017