Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that the United Nations Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee has approved a request from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to exempt ten laptops from sanctions so they can be brought into North Korea.
According to the North Korea Sanctions Committee’s website, the IFRC requested permission to import ten HP laptops at the end of last month. The IFRC stated that these laptops were essential for operating the North Korean Red Cross office.
In response, the North Korea Sanctions Committee sent a letter on August 6 to Alexander Matheou, Regional Director for the IFRC’s Asia-Pacific branch, stating that it approved the shipment of the exempted items to North Korea within the next 12 months.
The letter indicated that the approved items would be delivered by air from China to Pyongyang. According to RFA, this equipment will support the 12 North Korean staff members working at the IFRC’s Pyongyang office.
RFA also reported that international staff at the IFRC’s Pyongyang office have been working remotely from Beijing since leaving North Korea in 2020 due to border closures related to COVID-19.
The IFRC has not yet decided on the return of international staff to North Korea but hopes for their return. However, despite recent flooding, North Korea has refused international aid and has not allowed the return of international organization staff.
Robert R. King, the former U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights, told RFA that while Russian tourists might contribute financially during their visits, North Korean residents are unlikely to benefit from this spending. He emphasized that the fundamental necessity for North Korean residents lies in the assistance provided by humanitarian organizations.
This marks the fourth time this year that the North Korea Sanctions Committee has approved exemptions for humanitarian organizations providing aid to North Korea.
Previously, the North Korea Sanctions Committee had approved requests to import water treatment equipment from the Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, multi-purpose tents from the World Health Organization (WHO), and vaccine storage equipment from UNICEF.