Japan will extend US$4 million in emergency food aid to Myanmar in response to a humanitarian crisis triggered by the Feb 1 military coup, according to the Foreign Ministry The Star reported.

The aid, to be channelled through the UN World Food Programme, is expected to cover delivery of food to about 600,000 impoverished people in Yangon, where food supplies have sharply deteriorated following the ouster of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her democratically elected government.

Japan is seeking dialogue with the junta while remaining cautious about joining the United States, Britain and the European Union among others in imposing sanctions on individuals and groups involved in the coup.