South Korea offers humanitarian aid to flood-hit North Korea

South Korea’s unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said the South was willing to swiftly provide supplies to address the “humanitarian difficulties” facing North Korean residents following the recent storms. The ministry in a statement urged North Korea’s Red Cross to promptly respond to its calls for discussions to determine the types and amounts of South Korean supplies and how to deliver them.

North Korea did not immediately respond to the South’s offer.

The North has not reported details about casualties.

North Korea has suspended virtually all cooperation and diplomacy with the South after its larger nuclear negotiations with the United States derailed in 2019 over disagreements on lifting crippling US-led sanctions and the North’s steps to wind down its nuclear and missile programme.

The North had also rejected South Korea’s offers for help while battling a Covid-19 outbreak in 2022.