Aid group sends emergency medical supplies to N. Korea

By Tony Chang

SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean aid group sent some 70 million won (US$57,000) worth of emergency medical supplies Friday to a region in North Korea reportedly hit by enteritis and diarrhea, officials from the group said.

The Korea Association of People Sharing Love said the supplies were sent to
Sinuiju, near the border with China, and were being delivered via ship following
a request from the North made two weeks ago.
"North Korea's regional officials have asked for immediate support, saying that
children were dying from an epidemic of enteritis and diarrhea," a member of the
association said. The supplies were scheduled to arrive at the destination on
Monday.
The non-government body has been carrying out humanitarian assistance to the
North Korean province for several years.
Enteritis, a stomach illness, and diarrhea can lead to dehydration and become
life-threatening if not cured properly.
The South Korean government suspended direct food and fertilizer aid to North
Korea following the inauguration of conservative President Lee Myung-bak last
year but allows private aid groups to carry out humanitarian projects.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)