On 20 December 2012, the Japanese Government decided to send relief goods worth 10 million Japanese yen (tents and portable jerry cans) to Samoa, through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in response to the request from the Samoan Government following serious damages caused by Cyclone Evan.
On 17 December, His Highness Tui Atua Tamasese Efi, Head of State of the Independent State of Samoa declared the State of Emergency for 30 days. The Samoan Government reported that, as of 18 December, 4 people were killed, 8 people were still missing, over 5,000 people were under evacuation and the total damage by the cyclone was estimated at 300 million tala.
In response to the request from the Samoan Government, the Japanese Government has decided to provide emergency assistance to the affected people from a humanitarian point of view as well as in light of friendly relations between the two countries.
Mr Yasuaki Nogawa, Ambassador-designate of Japan to Samoa, who is based in Wellington, said "The Japanese people owe much to Samoans for their kind and generous support extended during the devastating earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan last year. We would like to help the Samoan people when they are in such a difficult time and we all hope for their earliest recovery."
Japan is opening its embassy office in Apia on 1 January 2013.
