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South Korean charity sends humanitarian aid to North Korea

South Korean ChildFund Korea child welfare organization has shipped humanitarian aid for North Korean children and expectant mothers under lingering tensions on the peninsula

Border crossing between South and North Korea (archive) EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN

Border crossing between South and North Korea (archive)

© EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN

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South Korea offers helping hand to North to stop foot-and-mouth disease

SEOUL, March 12. /ITAR-TASS/. South Korean ChildFund Korea child welfare organization has shipped humanitarian aid for North Korean children and expectant mothers under lingering tensions on the peninsula, the Yonhap news agency reports on Wednesday.

A major batch, including 180 tons of wheat flour and 20 tons of bean flour was shopped earlier on Wednesday from the South Korean port of Inchon to the North Korean port of Nampo on the west coast of the country, the news agency said.

"In North Korea, at least 6.1 million people are dealing with serious starvation," the news agency quoted Lee Je-hoon, the head of the organization, as saying. "We hope our aid will help improve their lives and alleviate political and military tensions between the Koreas," he said.

The North Korean authorities pledged to distribute the aid among 23,000 children and 29,000 expectant mothers. This is the largest batch of private humanitarian aid to North Korea under President Park Geun-hye.

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