Seoul City decided to deliver 50,000 bottles of ?risu' water as aid for Haitians suffering from severe water shortage due to the deadly earthquake that hit the Latin American country on Jan. 12. Hanjin Shipping will dispatch a ship containing the 50,000 2-liter bottles of ?risu,' which were produced by the Gangbuk Arisu Water Purification Center in northern Seoul, from Busan on March 24. It is expected to arrive in Haiti on April 26. The shipment will be made via the Korean Red Cross.

Since the early days of the earthquake in Haiti, Seoul City had planned to ship the water bottles to Haiti. But the plan had been delayed because of the high freight costs and the logistical chaos that ensued in the Latin American nation as most of its roads and ports had been ruined by the quake. With the resolution of such problems, the city has been able to send the aid.

With a flood of humanitarian aid from the international community flowing into quake-hit Haiti, Seoul City decided to send the 50,000 bottles of ?risu' in collaboration with the Korean Red Cross. Hanjin Shipping will share part of the freight costs. So, the aid is meaningful because it was jointly initiated by the city, the Korean Red Cross and Hanjin Shipping to ease the water shortage for Haitians.

?risu,' the brand name of Seoul's water supply, has been offered for events organized by government institutions and civic groups, since 2001. In particular, Seoul has delivered ?risu' for people who desperately need water at home and abroad due to natural disasters or water supply cuts. In June 2008, the city sent 100,000 bottles of ?risu' for the quake victims in Sichuan province in China. In September last year, it delivered 100,000 bottles for victims in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan after it was hit by Typhoon Morakot.

SOURCE : Korea.net