A recent article by Dorothy Stuehmke from the Los Angeles Times starts by saying “North Korea has recently made a desperate international appeal for food aid.” Since the 1990sl more than one million people have died of starvation and chronic food shortages and malnutrition have generated approximately 300,000 refugees. However, even the refugees live each day in fear of deportation and punishment when caught.
The international community has provided USD 2 million for food assistance to North Korea for the past few decades, however, it turns out that the aid has never reached the vulnerable population. In fact, the aid money has been used for developing nuclear weapons and testing missiles. Also, the direct recipients live in the capital of Pyongyang and the military. The United Nations reported that 6 million people (one-fourth of the population) are in dire need of food. As these figures show, there is a problem of monitoring system of aid deliveries.
Here, it is important to keep in mind that North Korea has shown non-complying attitudes as South Korea’s ‘Sunshine Policy’ has ended as a failure. Likewise, we have to understand that North Korea is not influenced by the outside environment but domestic developments which we have limited understanding on. In this regard, we have to think more creatively how food aid can be more effectively reached to the most vulnerable population for humanitarian purposes in North Korea.
My possible alternatives include: 1) providing physical farming machines and fertilizers rather than just grain itself so that they can develop their own self-sustaining farming skills, 2) following the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, member states should not undertake any grants or financial assistance in weapons trade with North Korea, 3) continuing food assistance to North Korea would eventually increase the country’s food supply and bring down the price for civilians.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-stuehmke-korea-foodaid-20110421,0,613962.story
Comments