Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, Japan said on April 15 that Japan would provide about $10 billion in financial support for Southeast Asian nations struggling with soaring oil prices that threaten production of petroleum-derived products in the region.

Takaichi announced the initiative at a regional forum that included Japan and major Southeast Asian economies such as Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia, reports The New York Times.

The war in the Middle East is having an outsized effect on Southeast Asian nations who rely on imports from the Persian Gulf region to manufacture products derived from oil that are crucial to producing everything from plastics to clothing. The move is intended to help less-wealthy nations in the region buy oil from the U.S. and other suppliers, and to help Japan shore up its own industries and supply chains, says the Times.