S.Korea approves this year's first private humanitarian aid to N.Korea

Seoul, April 4 (IANS) South Korea has approved 240 million won ($183,000) worth of private humanitarian aid deliveries to North Korea, marking this year's first approval of aid to the reclusive nation, a government official said here on Tuesday.In March, the government gave the green light to a civilian group's application for assistance related to nutritional materials, the Unification Ministry official said, without providing other details."The government plans to continue to approve the delivery of humanitarian goods to North Korea at the request of the civic groups if they meet all the requirements," Yonhap News Agency quoted the official as saying to the media.Seoul approved 5.52 billion won worth of humanitarian aid to Pyongyang last year.It remains unclear whether the reclusive regime has received the assistance amid pandemic-induced border controls and chilly inter-Korean relations.
--IANS ksk/

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