Indonesia sends food aid to North Korea

The Indonesian Government has provided food assistance worth US$2 million to North Korea to help it tide over its current food crisis. Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare, Agung Laksono, accompanied by a representative of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), presented the aid offer to North Korean representatives. “The aid reflects Indonesia`s solidarity with North Korea over the crisis,” the minister said. “The food assistance worth two million US dollars is being provided in the form of cooking oil, biscuits and other foodstuffs,” the minister added. The aid presentation was symbolic as the BNPB had handed over the pledged foodstuffs to the World Food Program (WFP), to be passed onto the affected people in North Korea. “The Indonesian government hopes the assistance will help ease the burdens of the People`s Democratic Republic of Korea and strengthen the bilateral diplomatic ties,” Laksono said.