TOKYO - Japan has decided to give 3.72 million dollars to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which will cover three programs to aid refugees in Lebanon.

"This assistance will be expected to contribute to improving the living conditions of the Palestinian refugees who have been in a difficult situation for more than half a century, and to promote peace in the Middle East," the foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

The three programs targeted for assistance were shelter rehabilitation, university scholarships and adaptation of homes for the disabled, the ministry said.

The aid would also include assistance to the UN agency's general budget for areas such as education and health services, it said.- AFP