South Korea Offers Aid

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea will give an additional $40 million in assistance to help North Korea recover from devastating floods earlier this month, a top official announced today.The offer of aid comes in response to a request from the North for construction materials and heavy equipment, and will include cement, trucks, reinforcing rods and other construction machinery, Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung told reporters.“North Korea is having difficulties recovering from the floods because of the shortage of construction equipment and material,” Mr. Lee said.This month’s annual summer rains in the impoverished North appear to have caused the worst damage in years, leaving around 300 people dead or missing and reportedly destroying 11 percent of the crops at the height of the growing season.South Korea has already pledged $7.5 million in immediate relief supplies for daily necessities like food, blankets and medicine.Delivery of the new South Korean aid will start around mid-September, Mr. Lee said today.Leaders of the two Koreas are to hold what will be only the second-ever summit between the North and South in early October, after the meeting was postponed due to the floods. The sides have pursued a course of reconciliation since the first summit on the divided peninsula in 2000. Seoul is one of the largest donors of humanitarian aid to the North.The international community has also rallied to help North Korea after this month’s disaster. Earlier this week the World Food Program began emergency food shipments to those affected by the floods and launched an appeal for outside donations. Other aid groups operating in the North are also seeking to provide assistance.South Korea has drawn criticism in the past for distributing aid directly to the North, without the strict monitoring that usually accompanies international assistance to ensure those most in need are receiving it.

South Korea Offers Aid

South Korea Offers Aid

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