UN agencies to release NK food assessment report in mid-November: WFP official

By Shim Sun-ah
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- While the size of North Korea's fall harvest for this
year is uncertain, the United Nations will come out with a specific estimate by
the middle of next month when the results of an ongoing food survey are due, a
U.N. agency official said Friday.
"It's a bit premature to be able to come about with a specific estimate on
agricultural production," said Jean-Pierre de Margerie, the World Food Program's
(WFP) country director for North Korea.
"We've reached an agreement with the government of North Korea to be able to
conduct an assessment on this. Currently, there are teams in North Korea both
from the WFP and FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) conducting this
assessment. And we should have a clear idea on what this production figure (is)
by the middle of next November," he said.
De Margerie said while the U.N. has not seen any evidence of starvation or famine
in the fragile northeast or any other region in North Korea, certain areas have
slipped into potential "crisis" situations.
"We estimate in certain areas of the country, they have reached a situation of an
emergency crisis. That's why we've launched an emergency operation in September,"
he said.
"We consider that it's imperative for the international community to address this
very dire food assistance need through emergency food aid."
North Korea has faced years of chronic food shortages and was hit by a severe
famine in the mid-1990s that left some 2 million people -- or about one-tenth of
the country's population -- dead, according to U.S. and other intelligence.
Once-generous international aid for North Korea has become sparse as the hardline
communist country has been dragging its feet on nuclear disarmament in
negotiations with South Korea, the U.S. and other regional powers.
The WFP, in its latest appeal made in early September, asked South Korea to
contribute up to US$60 million for its campaign in North Korea, warning the
country will slip back into famine unless given aid worth about $500 million in
the next 15 months.
South Korea has yet to respond to the appeal as its relations with Pyongyang
remain strained since President Lee Myung-bak's conservative government was
launched in February.
North Korea did not request annual humanitarian aid shipments this year from
South Korea, consisting of about 400,000 tons of rice and 300,000 tons of
fertilizer, amid the strained ties. Lee's two liberal predecessors had provided
the humanitarian aid for a decade.
Calling South Korea's food and fertilizer aid a "key element" in addressing the
chronic food deficit in the North, De Margerie asked Seoul to switch its means of
sending aid from the current direct shipment to third-party aid using U.N.
agencies.
"We believe that there are better means to addressing these problems of food
insecurity in DPRK (North Korea) if you channel these resources through agencies
that have monitoring capacity on the ground that can ensure that the food does go
to the intended beneficiary."
The outgoing director arrived in Seoul Thursday for a two-day visit to attend a
forum on North Korea and to discuss the provision of emergency aid to the
isolated communist nation with Seoul officials. Torben Due, De Margerie's
successor, is expected to take office in mid-November.
De Margerie said his time in North Korea was difficult but he will come to miss
the country.
"You know the North Koreans are, sometimes, people that are very hard to work
with. Very hard negotiators," he said. "But better side of them, which is very
gentile and very forthcoming, is a side that I will definitely miss."
"Maybe one day I'll hope to be going back to Pyongyang and to face again with the
people I spent lots of time (with) over the past two years," he said.
sshim@yna.co.kr
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