South seeks to aid North using outside relief groups

South Korea has decided to donate 26 billion won ($22.2 million) for humanitarian projects in North Korea via the World Health Organization, Unicef and private aid groups, the Unification Ministry said yesterday.

“The government has decided to deliver 26 billion won from its inter-Korean cooperation fund to international and private organizations involved in supporting North Korea’s underprivileged people,” ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said in a press briefing. “The latest addition will increase our annual donation to the North’s various support programs to 50 billion won this year.”

Chun said about 15.2 billion won of the latest donation will be sent to the WHO for its program for malnourished children in the North, while 4.7 billion won will be sent to Unicef for another children’s program.

He also said that some 6 billion won has been allocated for projects run by a number of private groups, including provision of medicine, forestry projects and education for North Koreans in production-related areas.

The ministry has provided support to Unicef, the WHO and other international agencies with programs for North Korea since the mid-1990s, including $15.74 million provided in 2008. Yonhap