Japanese policemen continue the search for missing people in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan, 20 April 2011. Photo by EPA/BGNES
Bulgaria will give Japan BGN 216 000 in humanitarian aid after the disastrous earthquake and tsunami that hit the Asian country last month.
The Bulgarian government will financially support Japan with BGN 200 000. The money will be transferred to a special bill opened by the Japanese Red Cross. An additional BGN 16 000 in material assets will be provided by the Bulgarian Red Cross.
Two leading Bulgarian tourist cities – Veliko Tarnovo and Varna – have announced plans to provide free vacations for Japanese kids from the regions devastated by the March 11, 2011, earthquake. The Black Sea city of Varna is ready to accommodate 150 Japanese children, while hotel managers in Veliko Tarnovo, decided to offer some of their rooms to about 50 distressed Japanese citizens.
The first time in recent history Bulgaria provided substantial foreign aid was in 2008 when the Cabinet granted funds for China and Myanmar that suffered an earthquake and a cyclone respectively. In 2010, Bulgaria became involved in the Haiti earthquake relief efforts