HomeAsian AmericansJapan sends $2 million to California for wildfire aid and recovery

Japan sends $2 million to California for wildfire aid and recovery

Japan will be donating $2 million in aid to California to help with the ongoing Southern California wildfires.

The donation was announced on Wednesday by Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, who said the money will be donated through the American Red Cross to provide food, shelter, evacuation sites, and psychological support for wildfire victims, Kyodo News reports.

“While we will continue to work on the exact timing of the assistance, Japan will continue to actively provide support for the disaster victims, as well as for the swift recovery of the disaster-stricken areas,” said Hayashi, according to the Washington Examiner.

In a statement, Kenko Sone, Consul General of the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, cited Southern California’s past natural disaster assistance to Japan and announced the country’s collaboration with Japanese and Japanese American communities.

“We stand with you all to support immediate needs and will do our best to collaborate with authorities, communities, and all of you to rebuild communities devastated by the fires,” he wrote in the statement.

In addition to Japan, Canada and Mexico have also sent aid to Southern California in the form of firefighter crews to further assist with extinguishing the wildfires. A company of 72 Mexican firefighters arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday, and will undergo an orientation before being dispatched on Monday, according to a press release by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In addition, firefighters from Northern California, including a team from a tribal fire department, and nine other U.S. states, have also sent firefighter companies and equipment, KTLA reports.

Since January 7, the wildfires in Southern California have ravaged several neighborhoods in Los Angeles, such as Pacific Palisades and Altadena, which have seen almost 200,000 evacuees and over 40,000 acres burned, according to NBC News.

As of Wednesday, 25 people have lost their lives in the fires, while 26 are missing, according to CBS News. The largest fire, the Palisades Fire, is 22 percent contained, while the Eaton Fire is currently 55 percent contained as of Thursday, NBC News reports.

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