Japan to Give Aid to Iwate Fire Victims with Damaged Homes

Tokyo, March 6 (Jiji Press)--Japan will give reconstruction aid money to people whose homes have been heavily damaged by the wildfire in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Thursday.

"We now have a prospect of applying the law on support for reconstructing livelihoods of disaster victims," Ishiba told the Budget Committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament.

Under the law, those whose homes have been partially or totally destroyed in a disaster will be given up to 3 million yen in aid, depending on the extent of the damage.

Ishiba promised to speed up the work to designate the Ofunato fire as a severe disaster eligible for heightened state aid, step up efforts to extinguish the fire and ensure all possible support for victims, including protection from the cold.

He made the remarks in response to questions from Masaaki Taniai, head of the Upper House members of Komeito, the ally of Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]