S. Korea pledges US$18 million in humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees

SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has pledged to offer US$18 million in humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees this year, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, amid concerns over their safety further aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ham Sang-wook, deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, unveiled the plan at Tuesday's Brussels Conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region, an international forum co-chaired by the United Nations and the European Union. "As the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region, which has entered its 10th year, has further deepened due to last year's spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation is urgent in terms of all sectors, including food, drinking water, health care and education," the ministry said in a press release. "Our government will continue to expand humanitarian support for refugees, women, minors and other vulnerable people in Syria and other areas suffering from large-scale humanitarian crises," it added. South Korea's humanitarian support includes aid through international organizations and the provision of 3,000 tons of rice to Syrian people facing a food crisis, the ministry said. sshluck@yna.co.kr (END)