Government Provides $1 Million Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine Dam Destruction

Japanese Diplomat Calls for '20% Increase'; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Says "Urgent Expansion Needed"

The government has decided to provide humanitarian aid worth 1 million dollars to assist the victims affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine earlier this month. This support will be delivered through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

On the 29th, Lim Su-seok, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing, "The government has been continuously supporting the people of Ukraine suffering from the war, and considering the urgent humanitarian needs caused by the dam's destruction, we have decided to provide additional aid."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government announced that while continuing humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine suffering from Russia's invasion, it decided to provide additional aid following this incident. Spokesperson Lim said, "We hope that our government's support will help the Ukrainian people achieve swift stability and assist in the recovery of the affected areas."

On the 6th, the Kakhovka Dam in Kherson Oblast, southern Ukraine, collapsed following an explosion, causing several villages downstream along the Dnipro River to be flooded and forcing a large-scale evacuation of residents. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that about 40 nearby villages were submerged due to the dam's destruction. Approximately 16,000 displaced persons have been generated. Local residents are experiencing water outages, shortages of drinking water, ecological destruction, and dangers from displaced landmines.

Regarding reports that the Japanese government plans to increase the number of diplomats to around 8,000, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that "an expansion of personnel is necessary." A ministry official said, "In response to the increasing demand for diplomatic work amid rapidly changing international circumstances, and to expand our contributions to the international community as a 'global pivotal state' while strengthening roles befitting our national stature, expanding diplomatic personnel is urgent." The official added, "We will continue internal reviews and consultations with related ministries regarding measures to strengthen diplomatic infrastructure."

According to Japanese media, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to increase its staff by about 20% from 6,604 this year to around 8,000 by 2030 to strengthen diplomatic relations with various countries. As of June this year, the number of staff at the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and overseas missions, is 2,856.

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