South Korea only approved two requests from private organizations to deliver aid to North Korea this year, the unification ministry said Thursday, marking a significant decline from 12 projects in 2022 as Seoul deprioritizes humanitarian assistance.

The two approvals are worth around $260,000 (400 million won) and “relate to children,” the ministry said in a press release. 

The ministry did not mention how many requests it received but said humanitarian aid to North Korea “is restricted due to the North’s refusal of South Korean goods and COVID-19.”

According to the inter-Korean exchange law, South Korean groups that wish to send