JICA Syria Office

I have been assigned as the Chief Representative of JICA Syria Office since March 1st, 2012 in addition to the current post of the Chief Representative of JICA Jordan Office. Just after I arrived at Jordan in December 2010, so-called "Arab Spring" has started from Tunisia and Egypt and spread out to other Arab countries including Jordan. That movement came to Syria in March 2011 to start severely destabilizing the situation there. Due to the deteriorating security situation in Syria, Japanese staff of JICA Syria Office including the Chief Representative left Syria for Jordan and started to work in the office temporarily located in JICA Jordan Office at the end of April 2011, and many of JICA volunteers, who had left Syria for Japan or who were supposed to be assigned to Syria, have been relocated their assignment to Jordan in around August2011. Even in Jordan, I had many opportunities to hear the words of good impression about Syria from staff of JICA Syria Office and JICA volunteers who have been relocated to Jordan, though they had hard time to leave there, which gives me good image on Syria in general in spite of the current unfortunate situation. It is not possible for us to foresee when the Japanese staff of JICA Syria Office can return to Damascus since the security situation in Syria seems not to change. However, we, JICA Syria Office, will continue the possible cooperation for Syria with national staff in Damascus, willing to visit Syria even for the short period of time as early as possible to deepen our understanding on the situation in Syria. I hope that the situation of Syria can be improved soon, the people of Syria can come back to the normality and the Japanese staff of JICA Syria Office returns to Damascus so that we can resume the full- cooperation for Syria including dispatch of experts and volunteers. Looking to that time, we will start possible preparation from now on.

March 1, 2012
Toshiaki Tanaka, Chief Representative
JICA Syria Office