By D. Arul Rajoo, Bernama,
Bangkok : North Korea is facing food shortages and a potential humanitarian crisis, following confirmation of a critically low national harvest stemming in part, from last August’s heavy floods, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today.
WFP regional director (Asia), Tony Banbury said in a statement that as the food security situation was clearly bad and getting worse, external assistance would be urgently required to avert a serious tragedy in the impoverished country.
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) recently projected a 2008 food shortfall in North Korea of 1.66 million metric tons, a near doubling of the 2007 deficit, and the highest since 2001.
WFP said prices of staple foods in the capital Pyongyang had doubled over the past year and were now at their highest recorded levels since 2004, citing rice which now costs around 2,000 won/kg (up from 700-900 won/kg in April 2007) and maize around 600 won/kg (350 won/kg in April 2007).
Drastic price rises for pork, potatoes and eggs have made these commodities a luxury for most people in DPRK. An average monthly worker’s salary is approximately 6,000 won/month.
Jean-Pierre de Margerie, WFP country director based in Pyongyang, said the rapid rise in the real price of food for those living in North Korea confirmed WFP’s fears that the country might suffer deeper and more widespread hunger this year.
“Now, it takes a third of a month’s salary just to buy a few days worth of rice. Families, and especially vulnerable people will suffer from lack of access to food, eat fewer meals and have a poorer diet, increasing their vulnerability to diseases and illness,” he said.
Government statistics, analysed by FAO, indicate that 2007 agricultural production came to only three million metric tons of cereals (rice, maize, wheat, barley and potatoes), which represents a 25 percent decrease from the previous year and the lowest overall harvest output since 2001 — when a summer drought caused massive harvest failure across the country.
Up until 2005, WFP was assisting over six million people in North Korea, about a quarter of the total population.
Since 2006, following the country’s decision to reduce its operation, WFP has been assisting 1.1 million of the most vulnerable people, mainly women and children and the agency estimates that more than 6.5 million people suffer from food insecurity — a figure that can be expected to rise if action is not taken to address the growing food shortages.
Among donors to WFP’s current programme in North Korea include US$20 million (US$1=RM3.1) from its neighbour South Korea, Russia (US$8 million), Switzerland (US$6.6 million), Germany (US$3.4 million) and Australia (US$2.4 million).