South Korea will provide $9 million in aid to five major conflict zones around the world, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The aid will be sent to Iraq ($5 million), Ukraine ($1 million), South Sudan ($2 million), Sudan ($500,000) and the Gaza Strip ($500,000) in an effort to help millions of refugees who have been displaced due to conflicts in those areas, the ministry said in a press release.
"The aid is supplementary to the humanitarian aid our government has provided to some of the areas designated by the U.N. as the worst humanitarian crisis zones with continued interest over many years," it said.
Some 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes in the five regions, while the total number of refugees around the world has quadrupled over the past four years, leading the U.N. to call for a record $18.8 billion in international humanitarian assistance this year, according to the press release.
Most of South Korea's aid will be delivered through international organizations, including the World Food Program, to support people in refugee camps, with a focus on education and health projects for children and teenagers.
Earlier this year, South Korea sent $10 million to Syria and $500,000 to Yemen in humanitarian aid. (Yonhap)
