UNICEF Sends Aid Supplies to North Korea via Dalian and Nampo Port Sea Routes

Incheon City to Host Yellow Sea Peace Forum on the 15th

Minister of Unification Lee In-young, Mayor of Gimpo Jung Ha-young, and other attendees are looking toward the North Korean Kaesong area at the '2021 Opening of the Peace Waterway Yeomha Waterway Navigation' held on the 13th in the neutral zone of the Han River estuary in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced that it is sending aid supplies to North Korea via maritime routes through China.

On the 15th, Oren Schlein, head of the UNICEF Seoul liaison office, attended the Yellow Sea Peace Forum held by Incheon City and stated, "Recently, the maritime supply route from Dalian, China to Nampo, North Korea has been opened," adding, "Some health supplies have arrived, and other materials will follow soon."

He also explained, "Currently, all foreign staff of UNICEF are outside North Korea," and "The priority for next year's operations is to return all staff to North Korea." The Yellow Sea Peace Forum held that day aimed to reduce military tensions in the West Sea, where South and North Korea face each other, and to explore peaceful uses such as maritime cooperation.

On the 9th, the U.S. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that UNICEF had sent supplies related to child malnutrition and tuberculosis treatment to North Korea in recent weeks, but the delivery routes and methods were not disclosed.

According to the announcement by Schlein, it appears that UNICEF used the same route as the World Health Organization (WHO) to send supplies. Earlier, Edwin Salvador, head of the WHO Pyongyang office, revealed that COVID-19 related items such as gloves, masks, and diagnostic reagents were brought into Nampo Port, North Korea, by ship.

Since the spread of COVID-19 last year, North Korea completely sealed its borders and did not allow the entry of aid supplies such as medicines. However, recently, the maritime route seems to be reopening.

Maria Yoon, head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Korea office, emphasized at the forum, "The most important variable in North Korea's food situation is whether the North Korean government allows the entry of humanitarian aid supplies," adding, "A full lifting of the blockade is necessary."

Meanwhile, Lee In-young, Minister of Unification, said in a video welcome speech at the forum, "Through a declaration to end the war, we will never stop efforts to completely end the war on the Korean Peninsula and achieve denuclearization and lasting peace," and "The government will steadily prepare and make focused efforts to operate the inter-Korean communication lines stably and advance peace on the Korean Peninsula and the development of inter-Korean relations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.