1. The government of the Republic of Korea, considering the great need for humanitarian assistance from the international community amid the continued spread of COVID-19 around the world, will secure additional budget and provide about 21 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian assistance for 65 countries in addition to its assistance of about 20 million U.S. dollars so far.

° The assistance will be offered particularly to 34 countries with vulnerable health systems in Africa and the Middle East, including Yemen, Sudan and Mozambique, as well as 10 in Europe and Central Asia, 12 in the Americas, and 9 in Asia and the Pacific.

° To date, the ROK government has provided mainly diagnostic kits as in-kind contributions for COVID-19 humanitarian assistance: This time, its provision will include facial masks as well. Also, the Korean government will cooperate with international and regional organizations for its implementation of humanitarian assistance including the delivery of material aid.

2. As of June 3, about 110 countries have requested the ROK to extend humanitarian assistance over COVID-19, and the ROK government has so far implemented bilateral assistance of about 20 million dollars for 42 countries in a way that it does not affect disease prevention and control efforts at home and in overall consideration of the extents of the scale of the COVID-19 outbreak and health vulnerability of those countries in need.

3. Once the ROK completes this humanitarian project, it will have extended humanitarian assistance to a total of 97 countries for COVID-19 response -- 21 in Asia and the Pacific, 13 in Europe and Central Asia, 21 in the Americas, and 42 in Africa and the Middle East. Furthermore, the ROK government will continue to provide humanitarian assistance based on the developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic as well as assessments of the extent of needs of countries.

4. The ROK government, while doing its utmost to tackle COVID-19 at home and taking a leading role in disease prevention and control, intends to contribute to the international community’s efforts to overcome the global health crisis in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation.