By Nicola Smith - 25th April 2004
The EU has approved €200,000 in emergency medical aid for North Korea in the aftermath of a horrific train crash that killed and injured scores of people.
The funds have been fast-tracked by the European Commission’s humanitarian aid office (ECHO) to provide basic medical supplies, first aid kits, kitchen sets, water decontamination tablets and tarpaulins for shelter.
The decision follows an assessment by a commission expert who visited the site of the crash on Saturday.
While details of the disaster still remain sketchy, the casualty count at the weekend stood at 1300 injured, with 370 hospitalised, and 154 bodies recovered.
Around 76 children are believed to have died when their primary school was flattened by the explosion when two wagons carrying 40 megatonnes of ammonium nitrate collided with a fuel wagon in the town of Ryonchon.
Officials who have visited the scene have reported a 20 metre crater from the blast, which flattened everything within a 500 metre radius.
A commission spokesman said the emergency aid would be used to boost medical supplies at a nearby hospital where the health facilities were very frail.
An assessment by the World Health Organisation over the next few weeks will be key in determining whether additional medium term aid is required for water and sanitation projects.
ECHO has already been active in funding projects by the UN, Red Cross and other European NGOs, pouring €17.25 million last year into health programmes and nutritional support for malnourished children.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.