The government of Japan and the United Nations (UN) decided to extend assistance of a total of US$935,768.50 (approximately 102 million yen) to Indonesia, India, Fiji Islands and Uzbekistan on 3 December, a Japanese embassy in Tashkent said.

The release of the embassy said the funds would be issued through the Trust Fund for Human Security for the program ?Reducing Vulnerability of School Children to Earthquakes? implemented in above-mentioned countries.

The program will be implemented by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the United Nations ??ntre for Regional Development (UNCRD).

The Trust Fund for Human Security was established in the UN Secretariat in March 1998 by the initiative of the government of Japan, with total contributions of 29 billion yen (approximately US$256 million) up to the present. The Trust Fund has assisted numerous projects of UN agencies that address various threats against human life, livelihood and dignity, from the perspective of Human Security.

This project aims at ensuring safety of school children and creation of earthquake-resilient community in seismically vulnerable areas by retrofitting of school buildings, demonstrating retrofitting technology training and disaster education.

The activities included in this project are assessing seismic vulnerability and enhancing seismic safety by retrofitting schools as model cases, demonstrating earthquake -safer construction practices, and enhancing the capacity of masons and engineers, raising awareness of students and communities through disaster education, disseminating case study experiences widely throughout the target countries and. their respective regions.

This project is expected to diffuse earthquake disaster prevention and enhance the capacity of seismically vulnerable communities in the Asia-Pacific region through activities such as enhancing the seismic safety of school buildings and promoting disaster education.