Government Provides Additional Humanitarian Aid to 32 Countries for 'COVID-19 Response'... Secures Additional Budget

11 New Supported Countries, 21 Additional Supported Countries... $41 Million Provided to 97 Countries So Far

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Amid the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the government announced on the 16th that it will additionally provide humanitarian aid worth 12 million dollars, including masks and diagnostic kits, to 32 countries.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government decided this by securing additional budget on top of the existing support worth 41 million dollars for 97 countries. The new support will cover 11 countries, and additional support will be provided to 21 countries, including 3 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, 3 countries in Europe and Central Asia, 18 countries in Latin America, and 8 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

This support plan includes aid to 18 Latin American countries severely affected by COVID-19, including Brazil. Among them, support for Caribbean countries struggling to respond to COVID-19 will be provided through the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Additionally, countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, where social and economic damage is worsening due to the spread of COVID-19, will also receive additional support.

The government has been providing humanitarian aid sequentially within the scope that does not affect domestic quarantine, and upon completion of this support, humanitarian aid will have been provided to a total of 108 countries.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "The government plans to continue to promote humanitarian aid where our help is needed based on comprehensive evaluations of COVID-19 trends and the damage situation in each country, thereby participating in the international community's efforts to overcome the COVID-19 crisis."