1/05/2015 H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie Extends Support to the Nation of Nepal

May 01, 2015: The horrendous earthquake that struck the virtuous nation of Nepal on the 25th of April resulting in deaths numbering in the thousands has brought tremendous grief to all Afghans. His Excellency President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has publicly communicated His utmost sympathies for the suffering caused by this immense tragedy and that the people and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan are united in anguish with the righteous people and Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

Here in Japan, it was with a heavy heart that, despite the details of the upcoming official condolence book signing ceremony having not yet been released, His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Fatimie still traveled to the Embassy of Nepal on his own initiative to lend support to the fellow SAARC member state. On behalf of the people and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie communicated to the Ambassador of Nepal, His Excellency Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai, his deepest condolences and that the thoughts and prayers of the entire nation of Afghanistan are with the brave people of Nepal, and particularly with the families who have lost loves ones, in this time of immense human and cultural loss. 

H.E. Ambassador Dr. Bhattari was highly grateful for H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie's sincere letter of condolence and for travelling to the Embassy, despite his hectic schedule. H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie was provided with a detailed briefing regarding the events and the ongoing relief operations by H.E. Ambassador Dr. Bhattari who greatly appreciated the heartfelt sympathies he had received.

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13/03/2015 H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie Welcomes Dr. Mohammad Daim Kakar

March 13, 2015: His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Fatimie and Embassy staff all took great pleasure in warmly welcoming Director General of Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority Dr. Mohammad Daim Kakar to the Embassy. Dr. Mohammad Daim Kakar is in Japan to represent Afghanistan and participate in the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction which is being held in Sendai from the 14th to 18th of March.

 

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13/03/2013 Ambassador Fatimie’s March 11th memorial message published

March 13, 2013: A memorial message by Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie on the occasion of the 2nd anniversary of the March 11, 2011 tragic disasters was published in the Daily Yomiuri newspaper. Ambassador Fatimie offered his sympathies and encouragement. The full text of the message is as follows.

 

Two years have passed since tragic disasters afflicted your noble nation. While our Embassy felt the effects, we were struck by the suffering elsewhere, particularly in the Tohoku region. Each life lost and every destructive aspect further saddened our people and Government. Despite limitations, we offered what we could. Government and Embassy funds were given, and I was honored to personally help deliver supplies to evacuees. For what we contributed, we received more. We were inspired by your strength. Afghans know firsthand that rebuilding takes time, but Japanese people are capable. We stand together with you now and forever.

8/06/2011 Ambassador Fatimie, Afghan delegation meet with Hon. Governor Sato of Fukushima, Hon. Deputy Mayor Katahira of Fukushima City, deliver funds, drawings by Bamiyan children in support

(Photo: From left to right, Mr. Ahmadyar, Ambassador Fatimie and Mr. Hussein (far right) present Hon. Governor Sato with a donation to support the people of Fukushima.) 

June 8, 2011: Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie along with a delegation of Afghan residents of Japan visited Fukushima City in order to bring 530,000 yen in funds and drawings by children in Bamiyan province, hoping to provide further material and spiritual support to the prefecture in the aftermath of the March 11th disasters and the ongoing nuclear problems. The funds come from the 1,851,000 yen gathered from Afghan residents in Japan.

On May 20th, a delegation including the Ambassador, members of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Afghan residents of Japan also visited Ibaraki Prefecture in order to bring supplies to evacuees from Fukushima prefecture.

The delegation to Fukushima was made up of Ambassador Fatimie, Mr. Jafar Ahmadyar, Mr. Haji Hussein. 

In the delegation’s meeting with Hon. Governor Yuhei Sato, Ambassador Fatimie expressed deepest condolences on the immense loss of life, damage to property, and the problems that have since affected the people of Fukushima. The Ambassador expressed the solidarity of the Afghan people with the citizens of prefecture, stressing that their resilience and strength would allow them to overcome these difficult obstacles, and presented the Hon. Governor with the artwork and the support funds. In turn, the Hon. Governor expressed his appreciation for the support and said that he values the relationship between Japan, and in particular Fukushima, and Afghanistan.

Following the meeting with the Hon. Governor, the delegation was warmly welcomed by the Deputy Mayor of Fukushima City, Hon. Mr. Kenichi Katahira. Ambassador Fatimie also expressed condolences to the Hon. Mayor and pledged that Afghans would stand beside and pray for the people of Fukushima. The Hon. Deputy Mayor conveyed, on behalf of the Mayor and the people of his noble city, sincere gratitude.

Throughout this developing situation, the children of Afghanistan have been particularly sympathetic to the victims of the disasters, having raised money through such groups as the Afghan Red Crescent Society, and held rallies, among other avenues of support.

To see the artwork of the children of Bamiyan, click here for part 1 and here for part 2.

To read news reports of the visit in Japanese, click here.

(Photo: Ambassador Fatimie and the delegarion meet with Hon. Deputy Mayor Katahira.)

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20/05/2011 Ambassador Fatimie, Afghan delegation bring supplies to disaster evacuees in Ibaraki prefecture, meet with Hon. Mayor Ichihara of Tsukuba, Hon. Governor Hashimoto of Ibaraki

May 20, 2011: Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie along with a delegation of officials from the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Afghan residents of Japan visited Tsukuba, Ibaraki prefecture in order to bring supplies to disaster evacuees from Fukushima prefecture, home of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The delegation was made up of Mr. Jafar Ahmadyar, Mr. Nabard E. Yazdani, Mr. Kohi Amin, Mr. Mohammad Esmail, Mr. Taqi Mahmoodi, Mr. Fahim Nawabi, Mr. M. Baqer, Mr. Haji Baqer, and Mr. Amin Gul Hanif. From the Embassy, the Ambassador was joined by Dr. Bashir Mohabbat, Deputy Head of Mission; Mr. Jason Pratt, Public Relations Officer; Mr. Yuki Takeda; and Mr. Antony Tran.

The evacuees who had just moved into their new temporary homes said that due to the disasters of March 11th and the subsequent radiation problems, they were forced to move out of their homes without time or resources to bring furnishings with them. The delegation presented new furnishings directly to three families and left furnishings with the local government for 17 more.

Each set of furnishing included five light fixtures and a gas stove. Gas heaters donated by Mr. Yazdani were also brought along. These sets were acquired at the direction of the local government with funds raised by Afghan residents of Japan totaling 1,851,000 yen.

Ambassador Fatimie and the delegation spoke on the solidarity between the peoples of the two nations and offered prayers on their behalf. The evacuees expressed their gratitude.

The delegation then met with the Mayor of Tsukuba, the Hon. Mr. Kenichi Ichihara, and then with the Governor of Ibaraki, the Hon. Mr. Masaru Hashimoto, the latter in Mito city. Both of the Hon. officials expressed their appreciation for the support. Ambassador Fatimie expressed that this was further evidence of the close relations between the nations, building upon the support the Japan has shown to Afghanistan in its development. The delegation further offered condolences regarding the massive loss of life and damage done to the prefecture and all of Japan. Ambassador Fatimie presented letters of condolence and of appreciation to the Hon. officials.

To see the full gallery of the visit by photographer Antony Tran, click here.

To read the NHK report of the visit in English, click here. To read it in Japanese, click here.

To read the Mainichi Shimbun report in Japanese, click here.

(Photo, left to right: Mr. Hanif, Mr. Kohi Amin, Mr. Yazdani, Ambassador Fatimie, Governor Hashimoto, and Mr. Ahmadyar)

All photographs courtesy of Antony Tran

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15/05/2011 Ambassador Fatimie is interviewed on Voice of America about the Japanese disasters

May 15, 2011: Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie, along with Mr. Jafar Ahmadyar, head of the committee of Afghan residents in Japan supporting victims of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, were interviewed on Voice of America’s Dari language station about the situation in Japan.

Ambassador Fatimie, staff from the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Tokyo, and representatives of the committee will visit disaster evacuees later this week, bringing furnishings for them.

The Dari language report can be found on Voice of America’s homepage here.

To listen to the broadcast, click here.

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7/05/2011 Ambassador Fatimie visits Shizuoka Prefecture, speaks at the opening of the Dr. Reshad’s new health facility



May 7, 2011: Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie made a visit to Shizuoka Prefecture, a prefecture intimately connected with Afghanistan, on the occasion of the opening of Dr. Khaled Reshad’s group’s new health facility.

Before visiting the new Appolon Ita facility, which will service the elderly and people affected with dementia, Ambassador Fatimie was given a tour of two other facilities previously opened by the group.

The opening ceremony for the new facility was attended by a number of related people and local dignitaries, including Hon. Mayor Katsuro Sakurai and Hon. Prefectural Assembly Woman Ikuko Ito. Dr. Reshad, a prominent Afghan resident of Japan who serves as an honorary advisor to Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan, was described by Hon. Ms. Ito in her speech as a bridge between the nations of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Japan; she further expressed her wish for a deepening of the already friendly relations between the two nations. Ambassador Fatimie, who has had the honor of opening a great number of health facilities in Afghanistan, expressed his pleasure at representing at this event the ever-increasingly close relations between the nations, referencing the contributions that the two nations made to one another, as well as wishing Dr. Reshad success in this and future pursuits. Ambassador Fatimie additionally called on those in attendance in joining him in expressing support for the victims of March 11th’s disasters.

To read the Ambassador’s speech, click here.

To read the newspaper report of the event in Japanese, click here.

(photo: from right to left, Dr. Khalid Reshad, Hon. Assembly Woman Ikuko Ito, Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie)

12/04/2011 Second meeting of representatives of Afghan residents in Japan held to discuss support issues for the victims of March 11th’s Tohoku earthquake and tsunami

April 12, 2011: One day after the one-month anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Ambassador Sayed M. Amin Fatimie, met for a second time with representatives of Afghan residents of Japan at the Embassy in order to build upon plans to support the victims of March 11th’s tragic Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. In attendance were, representing the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Dr. Bashir Mohabbat, Deputy Chief of Staff; Mr. Bahadur Kargar, Third Secretary and Consul; Mr. Jason Pratt, Public Affairs Officer; and Ms. Parwana Paikan; representing the Afghan residents of Japan were Mr. Jafar Ahmadyar, the committee’s head; Mr. Amin Kohi, the project’s auditor; and Mr. Haji Hussein, the committee’s treasurer.

Since the previous meeting, many Afghan residents in Japan had come forward in solidarity with their Japanese brothers and sisters to financially support the committee’s declaration to provide for the survivors. A total of 1,841,000 yen had been raised as of the meeting.

The funds will be used to purchase gas stoves and light bulbs, at the request of the Ibaraki Prefectural Government, to install in temporary housing units in the prefecture which will house evacuees from Fukushima. A group comprising of members of the committee and staff of the Embassy will deliver the materials to Ibaraki in the near future.

To see the list of those who have donated to the relief fund, click here.

To see the list of previous donations made by the diplomats of the Embassy on March 15th, click here.

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7/04/2011 Representatives of Afghan residents of Japan gather in support of victims of March 11th’s Tohoku earthquake and tsunami

April 7, 2011: Ambassador Sayed M. Amin Fatimie met with more than 20 prominent representatives of Afghan residents of Japan at the Embassy in order to show their solidarity with the victims of March 11th’s tragic Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and to decide upon ways in which to support the survivors. The representatives, men and women, encompassed all ethnicities and groups in Afghanistan.

Through the meeting, 415,000 yen was gathered to be dedicated to purchasing supplies for those in the regions most affected by these disasters. Attendees vowed to collect further funds from other Afghan residents who were not present. The supplies will be delivered in person to the Tohoku region by a group of 14, including three members from the Embassy, selected by the representatives at a date to be decided later. The 14-member committee is to be headed by Mr. Jafar Ahmadyar, with Mr. Haji Hussein serving as treasurer, and Mr. Amin Kohi serving as auditor.

The members of this session expressed that they were pleased with this initiative instituted by the Embassy, and promised their resolve to stand with their Japanese brothers and sisters.

 

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15/03/2011 Afghan diplomats, Mayor of Kandahar donate to disaster relief in Japan, others in Afghanistan also show support

March 15, 2011: In the wake of the March 11th magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that has brought massive loss of life and damage to Japan, Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie and the Embassy’s diplomats gathered 40,000 yen to donate to relief efforts. Ambassador Fatimie and the staff of the Embassy of Afghanistan have expressed their deepest condolences to the victims of this tragedy and have expressed that they will stand by the people of this great nation during this difficult period. Ambassador Fatimie has also offered his services, as a physician experienced in assisting in a number of disasters since the early 1980s, to help in the areas affected worst.

Afghans both in Afghanistan and abroad have shown their sympathy towards those affected and are expressing their solidarity.

In Kandahar, Mayor Ghulam Hayder Hamidi has donated US$50,000 – a reflection of how deeply he cares for the Japanese with, as well as a symbolic sign of gratitude for all that Japan has done for the city and province. Mayor Hamidi told Reuters, "I know $50,000 is not a lot of money for a country like Japan, but it is a show of appreciation from the Kandahar people." Students of Kandahar University are also gathering further funds now.

Other government officials, including the Mayor of Kabul, have also together offered around US$200,000 in assistance.

In Bamiyan, a group of 70 young people gathered to express their support, holding banners in Dari, as well as in English reading such slogans as “We are poor but rich in our willingness to offer assistance to the people of Japan in your time of need,”The youth of Bamiyan extend our heartfelt sorrow to the citizens and victims of Japan.”

To read the Japanese government's press release concerning Afghan contributions, click here.

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