U.N. Halts Food Aid to North Korea

Food aid provided to North Koreans by international humanitarian organizations has been cut off due to a shortage in donations from the international community, the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OHCA) announced on December 8.

In a statement issued that day, OCHA indicated, “Of the funds requested by U.N. Organizations to support North Korea, only about half were raised, leaving the World Food Program (WFP) to halt the handouts to 700,000 people in November and approximately three million people starting this month.” OHCA warned saying, “Unless new pledges are confirmed by May next year, food aid to 3.8 million people countrywide may be affected. Eighteen food production facilities supported by WFP for children and pregnant women will also face grain shortages by next April.”

The U.N. recently made a request to the international community to donate $20.21 billion of aid to North Korea next year.

Kwan-Hee Hong konihong@donga.com