North Korea Low on Food Again

The United Nations is pushing for food aid to North Korea after a new report released by the World Food Program, and the Food and Agriculture Organization said North Korea would have yet another food shortage in staple crops this year. The main crops that are needed are rice, grain, and soybeans in quantities of more than a half million tons. Even with 2010 yeilding a 3% higher harvest than last year, despite a poor growing season, the country is still not able to feed its people.

Humanitarian and food crisis are nothing new for North Korea. The governemnt food distribution provides only half of the necessary daily calories which leaves the people to find their own food by means of small garden plots and trading on the black market. Officials estimate the North Korea's food aid program is underifnanced by 80% and almost 50% of the children in the country are malnourished.

North Korea has been looking to South Korea for aid by requesting talks to re-open cross border tours to the jointly operated Mount Kumgang resort in the North which is referred to as Diamond Mountain. These tours brought large amounts of revenue to the North, but the tours were stopped after a North Korean guard recently killed a South Korean women for wandering into a restricted zone. South Korea has denied the requests for talks. They also denied giving shipments of 500,000 tons of rice and 300,000 tons of fertilizer in return for restarting family reunions of those seperated by the Korean war.

International sanctions, a lack of foreign currency and credit has also made it difficult for North Korea to find food. Although, there has been some aid given from South Korea as part of an $8.5 million aid package that was agreed upon earlier, officials worry that the food will simply go to the military and the political elite. North Korea's food crisis is an ongoing problem and chances for improvement do not seem likely any time soon.

For more information read the article on the New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/world/asia/18korea.html?_r=1&ref=world

By: Colin Zimmerman