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Australia will boost its support of communities affected by widespread floods in North Korea with a further $2 million of emergency relief.
This assistance is in addition to $2 million in food aid announced on 20 August this year, and follows recent UN and International Federation of the Red Cross appeals for international assistance.
UNICEF will provide nutritional support, school materials, and water supply and sanitation at cost of $750,000.
An additional $750,000 will be provided through the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for emergency services and non-food items such as health care, water and sanitation, shelter and essential household items, and training in disaster mitigation and management.
Australia will also support the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide essential medicines and other health needs to the value of $500,000.
Severe flooding, mudslides and torrential rain have adversely affected about one million North Koreans since August.
Some 450 people have been killed and 170,000 left homeless. Key transport and communication infrastructure as well as schools, housing and agriculture have been destroyed or damaged.
Australia will continue to monitor humanitarian needs in North Korea.
It has been Australia's longstanding and consistent policy to provide humanitarian assistance via UN and other multilateral agencies to meet the needs of the North Korean people, independently of political considerations such as the nuclear issue. Since 1995-96, Australia has provided over $60 million in humanitarian assistance to North Korea.
Media contacts:
Malcolm Cole (Minister's Office) 02 6277
7500
AusAID Public Affairs 0417 680 590