The U.S. Treasury Department says testing kits and respiratory devices are among items that the U.S. will allow in the provision of humanitarian support by nongovernmental organizations(NGO) to North Korea. 

The Office of Foreign Assets Control(OFAC) under the department posted on Thursday the “Fact Sheet: Provision of Humanitarian Assistance and Trade to Combat COVID-19” on its website.

In it, the office introduced sanction exemptions and exceptions in terms of humanitarian assistance for North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, among other countries subject to U.S. sanctions. 

The fact sheet said OFAC’s North Korea sanctions are intended to restrict the North’s access to the international financial system and global supply chain but that the office generally licenses NGOs to provide services related to certain humanitarian activities.

The document said “such support may include providing items to the civilians of North Korea, to include but not limited to testing kits, respiratory devices, personal protective equipment, and medicine used in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery from COVID-19.”

The latest move comes after the Treasury Department announced last Thursday that OFAC continues to maintain broad exemptions and authorizations, across its sanctions programs including North Korea, to ensure that U.S. sanctions do not hamper the transfer and delivery of humanitarian aid.