Japan ready to step in for USAID in several Ukrainian projects

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has announced its readiness to fund several energy and infrastructure programs in Ukraine to fill a vacuum after the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) suspended a vast majority of its worldwide assistance programs. 

“We want to identify the gaps that have emerged in the energy sector and do our best to fill them. Of course, we have budget constraints, but we would like to do more,” said Hideki Matsunaga, head of JICA’s Ukraine office, as reported by state-run Ukrinform.  

JICA and USAID have different approaches, which makes it challenging to continue some of the programs previously implemented by USAID, particularly in the legal sector and civil society funding.  

“We need to seriously focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors, and we will be looking into these areas,” Matsunaga said.  

On March 10, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that Washington would cancel 83 percent  – the equivalent of 5,200 contracts – of USAID programs following a six-week review.  

The agency’s dismantlement saw 9,500 employees out of the 10,000 workforce be placed on administrative leave, leading to the drastic reduction in foreign aid. 

Meanwhile, JICA and the Japanese company KAKUICHI have committed to helping Ukraine restore soil fertility – an especially important initiative for regions affected by Russian occupation and military action.  

The oldest Ukrainian organization in Japan, the nonprofit Kraiany Association of Ukraine-Japan Friendship, is also working with JICA to support Ukraine. 

You can learn more about the organization’s activities at this link.