Japan\'s parliament on Monday passed an emergency 4 trillion yen ($49 billion) budget to help fund reconstruction after the deadly March 11 earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern regions.
Ruling and opposition lawmakers put aside their differences in an effort to launch efforts to rebuild the country\'s quake-hit northeast as quickly as possible.
But analysts warned the passing of the budget will not ease pressure on under-fire Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who has faced criticism over the government\'s handling of the crisis and the subsequent nuclear emergency.
The four trillion yen extra budget will cover restoration work such as clearing massive amounts of rubble and building temporary housing for the thousands of people who lost their homes.
The 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11 left nearly 26,000 killed or missing and crippled a nuclear power plant, which has been releasing radioactive materials into the environment.
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