The United States has announced a plan to exempt humanitarian assistance from sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury Department said in a press release on Tuesday that the department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control took "historic steps" to further enable legitimate humanitarian assistance to provide for the basic needs of vulnerable populations while continuing to deny resources to malicious actors.

The Treasury’s announcement coincides with the adoption of a UN Security Council Resolution on December 9 exempting humanitarian assistance from international sanctions after aid groups cited concerns about the detrimental effects of overcompliance on their work.

With the decision, sanctions exemptions are likely to be applied to humanitarian assistance by the U.S. government as well as the official business of international organizations such as the UN or the International Red Cross.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement that the U.S. is committed to protecting humanitarian access and removing impediments to the delivery of legitimate humanitarian aid around the world.

The Treasury's exemption is expected to be applied to humanitarian aid for North Korea among others.