Tuesday, February 10, 2004
DONOR FATIGUE IS HITTING NORTH KOREA HARD.
UPDATE: What does North Korea do in the face of this significant challenge? Hold a "Pioneers Rally to Revolutionize Potato Farming"
Agence France-Presse ("WFP MAKES LAST DITCH APPEAL TO HELP STARVING MILLIONS IN NORTH KOREA," Beijing, 02/09/04) reported that the World Food Programme (WFP) made a last ditch appeal for help to feed millions starving in the DPRK, saying it was scraping the bottom of the barrel with cereal stocks virtually exhausted. Lack of international aid to the DPRK has left some elderly, women and children in a desperate situation during the harsh Korean winter, the United Nations agency said Monday. "We are scrapping the bottom of the barrel," WFP representative for North Korea Masood Hyder said at a press conference in Beijing. "Over four million core benfeciaries, the most vulnerable elderly, women and children are now deprived of very vital rations. It is the middle of the harsh Korean winter and they need more food not less." The WFP has targeted 485,000 ton of commodities valued at 171 million dollars for 2004 but has so far only secured commitments for 140,000 tons and little of this has actually been delivered. The US, Australia, Canada and the European Union recently pledged 77,000 ton of aid but this will not arrive before April.This is nothing but tragic.
UPDATE: What does North Korea do in the face of this significant challenge? Hold a "Pioneers Rally to Revolutionize Potato Farming"
