South Korea Sends Food Aid to North Korea

According to the New York Times, South Korea has sent its first food shipment as a part of humanitarian aid in more than three years. Five Thousand tons of rice left the port of Gusan while three million cups of instant noodles left the port of Incheon, both shipments are headed to Dandong China, for trucking into North Korea. Irony cannot be overstated as South Korea shares a border with North Korea, but neither side will overstep the 38th parallel, and so the Chinese as intermediaries are incredibly important to lessen the perceived disgrace of asking for help from the South Koreans for the North. The Red Cross is handling the mess of logistics in shipping the food, which is part of an $8.5 million aid package agreed upon last month. The agreement also was an effort to continue the reunion of families separated by the Korean War, which are said to begin Saturday. Deliveries of cement and medicine are scheduled for December. According to analysts, the situation is bleak in the North, with three in five children being malnourished and a quarter of the population needing food assistance. On top of August floods, the ability of North Korea to feed itself is severely diminished. However, not all see the aid relief as a perfect solution, as many aid workers feel that the food would only be used to reinforce party lines as it is distributed to the elite in Pyongyang. Hopefully, despite the fears of all involved, this is the beginning of a less sheltered North Korea for the future.

By Margaret Nunne