A United Nations agency in charge of reducing humanitarian suffering has secured only 30 percent of its annual budget for humanitarian aid projects in North Korea this year, a broadcaster reported on Saturday.
Radio Free Asia said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs aimed to raise $113.5 million in 2017 to support various humanitarian activities in North Korea but has so far secured only $33.9 million.
OCHA's budget shortage is serious as the secured amount represents only about 30 percent of the target, RFA said, citing an OCHA report.
|
This file photo taken on May 24, 2017, shows officials of a Seoul humanitarian aid group examining supplies bound for North Korea. (Yonhap) |
This year, UN bodies like the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund and the World Food Programme, and seven countries -- Switzerland, Russia, Canada, Sweden, the United States, France and Liechtenstein -- participated in the North Korea-related humanitarian aid projects, according to the OCHA report.
Of them, CERF accounted for $12.3 million, or 36.4 percent, of the secured amount, while Switzerland donated $5 million, or 14.8 percent, it noted.
The RFA report said about $29.6 million, or 78.6 percent, of the international community's humanitarian aid for North Korea in the first 10 months of this year was spent on the provision of food and nutritional support products. In addition, $4.4 million was spent on improving the North's health services and another $1.5 million was delivered to help improve its drinking water. (Yonhap)