EU to provide $340,000 for N. Korea disaster control project

SEOUL, July 15 (Yonhap) -- The European Union has decided to provide US$340,000 to a North Korea disaster control project, a U.S.-based media outlet said Friday.

According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) will send the funds to the Finnish Red Cross that has been engaged in rural disaster management projects in the reclusive county.

The project aims to minimize damage caused by natural calamities such as droughts and floods.

An EU spokesperson told RFA that the Finnish effort is focused on helping North Korean communities and their people cope effectively with the natural disasters.

The project is also aimed at educating and training the residents in rural areas, and officials in charge of disaster management, the spokesperson said. Besides such measures, the humanitarian assistance effort will reinforce the embankments of disaster-prone regions, and help with the planting of more trees.

According to the spokesman, ECHO is ready to give tents, emergency medical supplies and sanitary fittings in case the country is affected by natural disasters.
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