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The UN Security Council

The UN approved an exemption on sanctions for aid to North Korea from four international humanitarian groups.

The website of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea (1718 Committee) announced on Jan. 23 that requests for exemptions to sanctions on humanitarian assistance items were granted on Jan. 18 for four organizations: UNICEF, the Eugene Bell Foundation (EBF), First Steps, and Christian Friends of Korea (CFK).

The decision for the four groups brings the total number of humanitarian aid-related exemptions announced by the 1718 Committee on its web page to six. UNICEF and EBF were named for a second time each after being respectively listed in October and November of last year. CFK and the Canadian-based relief group First Steps were granted exemptions on sanctions for the first time.

UNICEF received exemptions for 51 items valued at US$520,860. The biggest portion of the amount covers nine ambulances (US$205,740). UNICEF explained that the ambulances would be used to transport pregnant women and emergency patients to local hospitals. Also included was a solar-powered water pump (US$96,349) for use in supplying “clean and safe water” to residents of Chongju, a city in North Pyongan Province. Another 35 categories of water-related items valued at US$41,417, including 23,350 faucets, are to be used in supplying water to the counties of Kosong in Kangwon Province, Myonggan in North Hamgyong Province, and Samjiyon in Yanggang Province. Also on the approved list were 17 laptop computers for hospitals and 40 television sets.

CFK explained that its items were generally to be used for humanitarian projects involving tuberculosis, hepatitis, and pediatric patients. First Steps was listed as approved for “shipment of 300 20-litre stainless-steel soymilk cans as part of its assistance and relief activities in the DPRK to prevent malnutrition in children.” EBF received exemptions for three items: Chinese-made speaker and microphone sets, Chinese-made microphone stones, and South Korean-made markers.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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