DATE=6/14/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233872
TITLE=NORTH KOREA / FOOD / L-O
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: EXPERTS FROM THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAM AND
THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION SAY NORTH KOREA IS
SUFFERING FROM A FOOD SHORTAGE THAT IS MORE SERIOUS THAN HAD
INITIALLY BEEN PREDICTED. V-O-A'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS, THE
EXPERTS ADD THEY HOPE TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITIONAL
SURVEY IN NORTH KOREA WITHIN A MONTH.
TEXT: THE TWO U-N AGENCIES HAVE JUST CONDUCTED THEIR EIGHTH
JOINT MISSION TO REVIEW NORTH KOREA'S FOOD SUPPLY SITUATION AND
TO ASSESS CROP PROSPECTS FOR THIS YEAR.
F-A-O OFFICIAL ABDUR RASHID SAYS -- ALTHOUGH NORTH KOREAN
CHILDREN SEEM HEALTHIER THAN THEY DID LAST YEAR -- THE FOOD
SITUATION THERE IS WORSE. MR. RASHID SAYS THE AMOUNT OF FOOD PER
PERSON PER DAY HAS DECREASED THIS YEAR BY ONE-THIRD AND THAT
PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION IN SOME AREAS HAS STOPPED, ALTOGETHER.
// RASHID ACTUALITY //
WE CHECKED THIS -- LAST YEAR, ALSO, THE PUBLIC
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM CEASED AROUND MID-MARCH IN MANY
AREAS. BUT THE QUANTITIES GIVEN AT THAT TIME WERE
HIGHER. THEY WERE GETTING 150 GRAMS (OF FOOD) PER DAY
LAST YEAR, COMPARED TO 100 GRAMS PER DAY THIS YEAR.
// END ACTUALITY //
MR. RASHID SAYS,FOR THIS YEAR, NORTH KOREA'S TOTAL DEMAND FOR
GRAIN IS NEARLY TWO MILLION TONS. NEARLY HALF OF THAT HAS BEEN
PLEDGED OR ALREADY DELIVERED, BUT HE SAYS THE COUNTRY IS STILL
EXPECTING A HUGE SHORTFALL.
WORLD FOOD PROGRAM SENIOR OFFICER ROLF HUSS ADDS THAT THE NEXT
TWO MONTHS ARE ESPECIALLY CRITICAL.
// HUSS ACTUALITY //
EXPECTED SHIPMENTS IN JUNE AND JULY WILL AMOUNT ONLY TO
45 THOUSAND AND 48 THOUSAND TONS, RESPECTIVELY. THIS IS
EXTREMELY WORRYING AND THE MISSION WILL SUGGEST THAT
DONORS CONSIDER POSSIBILITIES TO ADVANCE ALREADY PLEDGED
CONTRIBUTIONS, TO ARRIVE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
// END ACTUALITY //
THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM IS STILL PROVIDING MORE THAN 600 THOUSAND
TONS OF FOOD AID TO NORTH KOREA. IT HAS DEDUCTED 55-THOUSAND
TONS BECAUSE NORTH KOREA DOES NOT GRANT IT ACCESS TO VARIOUS
PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
MR. RASHID SAYS ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR FOREIGN AID WORKERS IN NORTH
KOREA IS TRYING TO DETERMINE THE NUTRITIONAL LEVELS OF THE NORTH
KOREAN PEOPLE.
// RASHID ACTUALITY //
THIS RAISES ANOTHER QUESTION. DO WE HAVE ANY CREDIBLE
NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT SO FAR? THE ANSWER IS NO.
// END ACTUALITY //
MR. RASHID SAYS U-N AGENCIES ARE HOPING TO CONDUCT SUCH A SURVEY
NEXT MONTH. HE SAYS THE PROBLEM OF HUNGER IN NORTH KOREA WILL
NOT BE SOLVED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
// RASHID ACTUALITY //
THERE ARE STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS. THERE ARE UNDERLYING
PROBLEMS FACING THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, AND THESE HAVE
BEEN EXACERBATED BY NATURAL HAZARDS IN RECENT YEARS.
SO, THOSE PROBLEMS ARE NOT GOING TO GO AWAY WITH THE
FAVORABLE WEATHER.
// END ACTUALITY //
DOUGLAS COUTTS -- THE U-N HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR IN NORTH KOREA
-- SAYS POOR SANITATION AND LACK OF CLEAN WATER ARE ALSO
AFFECTING THE NORTH KOREAN POPULATION.
// COUTTS ACTUALITY //
ALL THESE THINGS ARE INTERRELATED BECAUSE OF THE
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. AND WE HAVE, FRANKLY, UNDERESTIMATED
VERY MUCH THE IMPACT THAT THE DETERIORATION OF WATER AND
SANITATION WOULD HAVE.
// END ACTUALITY //
THE RED CROSS RECENTLY WARNED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A CHOLERA
EPIDEMIC IN NORTH KOREA BECAUSE OF CONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER.
THE U-N EXPERTS SAY THE PROBLEM COULD WORSEN -- POINTING OUT THAT
A LACK OF RAIN THIS YEAR MEANS THE COUNTRY'S RESERVOIRS ARE
ONE-THIRD BELOW NORMAL. (SIGNED)
NEB / HO / RW / WD
14-Jun-98 3:01 AM EDT (0701 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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