South Korea proposes providing humanitarian aid to North Korea over flood damage

Seoul, Aug 1 (IANS) South Korea on Thursday proposed providing humanitarian aid to North Korea over damage from the recent downpours in its northern border areas along the Amnok River, as the North is believed to have sustained huge casualties.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it is willing to urgently support the North Korean flood victims with the necessary supplies from a humanitarian and fraternal perspective through the Korean Red Cross, Yonhap news agency reported.

“We are ready to discuss the items, scale and method of support with the North Korean counterpart. We expect North Korea’s swift response,” said Park Jong-sul, secretary general of the Korean Red Cross, expressing his “deep sympathy” for the victims.

North Korea’s border city of Sinuiju and Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Pyongan were pummeled by heavy rain, with more than 4,100 houses and nearly 3,000 hectares of farmland left submerged, according to the North’s state media.

The North did not disclose details about casualties, but the unification ministry said North Korea may have sustained “considerable” casualties amid a news report that the number of those who died or went missing probably exceeded around 1,000.

The latest aid proposal came despite heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea’s continued provocative acts and its increased animosity toward South Korea.

The government has said it is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea regardless of the political and security situation on the peninsula.

However, it remains uncertain whether North Korea would accept the aid proposal.

The unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, noted that it marked the government’s first proposal for flood damage relief to the North since 2012. At that time, North Korea rejected the offer.

“(If Pyongyang accepts the offer) we will discuss the items and scale of support with the North. The supplies of food and medicine for the displaced will be prioritized,” said a ministry official on the condition of anonymity.

The latest offer marked the second proposal on humanitarian aid under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, the official said. The ministry proposed having working-level contact with North Korea in May 2022 over COVID-19 quarantine supplies.

The official said the government is ready to discuss details through various methods, including face-to-face meetings or coordinating through a third country.

The government chose to use the press to deliver its intent for aid, as North Korea has remained unresponsive to the inter-Korean liaison communication channel since April last year.

North Korea is vulnerable to natural disasters due to its lack of infrastructure, with heavy rains, in particular, displacing thousands of people in the impoverished country.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the flood-hit areas of Sinuiju and Uiju County on Sunday and guided an operation to rescue around 5,000 isolated residents.

Earlier this week, the country convened a rare emergency politburo meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea to discuss ways to cope with the flood damage.

–IANS

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