Voice of America 04/14/97
NORTH KOREA FOOD CRISIS
BYLINE=GIL BUTLER
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAM
OFFICIAL IN PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA SAYS THERE
MAY BE A DANGER OF STARVATION BY THE END OF
THE YEAR, BUT THERE IS NOT YET WIDESPREAD FAMINE.
VOA'S GIL BUTLER IN BEIJING SPOKE BY TELEPHONE
WITH BRIGITTA KARLGREN, HEAD OF THE WORLD FOOD
PROGRAM OFFICE IN NORTH KOREA AND HAS THIS REPORT.
TEXT: THE SIGNS HAVE BEEN OMINOUS. THE WORLD
FOOD PROGRAM HAS PUT OUT AN URGENT CALL TO
DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD IT WAS PREPARED TO
SUPPLY NORTH KOREA BECAUSE OF THE WORSENING FOOD
CRISIS. THE U-N CHILDREN'S FUND -- UNICEF -- SAYS
SERIOUS MALNUTRITION WAS DISCOVERED IN THE
CITY OF HUICHON. A GROUP OF AMERICAN SENATORS
ALSO WARNED OF STARVATION AFTER A VISIT TO
NORTH KOREA. /// OPT /// SENATOR TED STEVENS
SAID THERE MUST BE AN ATTEMPT TO MEET NORTH
KOREA'S WORST PROBLEM --STARVATION OR, HE WARNED
THERE WILL BE A NORTH KOREAN MILITARY REACTION
AS WHAT HE CALLED "THE LAST GASP OF THE REGIME."
/// END OPT ///
BUT THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM'S BRIGITTA KARLGREN
SAYS MALNUTRITION DOES NOT YET APPEAR WIDESPREAD
AMONG CHILDREN.
/// KARLGREN ACT ///
I WOULD NOT SAY THAT, NO. THIS MUST BE A SPECIAL
CASE AND WE HAVE BEEN IN THAT AREA. THIS WAS IN
HUICHON CITY WHERE THEY OBSERVED THIS AND WE
DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A SIGN OF MALNUTRITION OR IF
OTHER DISEASES INVOLVED. BUT THE FACT IS, THERE
IS A SHORTAGE OF MEDICINE AND IF THERE ARE NO
MEDICINES TO CURE NORMAL DISEASES, CHILDREN--
OR ANYBODY ELSE--- CANNOT ABSORB THE FOOD THEY
ARE EATING. BUT THE FOOD CRISIS MIGHT BE
CRUX OF THE PROBLEM. WE ARE NOT SURE OF THAT.
/// END ACT ///
NORTH KOREA IS IN THE MOST DANGEROUS PERIOD
OF TIME NOW, FOOD STORES ARE RUNNING OUT AND
THE NEXT HARVEST IS MONTHS AWAY. EVEN AFTER
THAT HARVEST THERE IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE A SERIOUS
SHORTAGE IN FOOD SUPPLIES. IS STARVATION A REAL
DANGER THEN?
/// KARLGREN ACT ///
IT IS A DANGER BY THE END OF THE YEAR, YES. IF
THERE IS A COMBINATION OF OTHER INFECTIONS OR
OTHER DISEASES, IT IS A SEVERE CRISIS, YES. BUT ON
PURE MALNUTRITION, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A
FAMINE WHERE PEOPLE ARE DYING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.
/// END ACT ///
CHINA HAS JUST ANNOUNCED IT WILL BE SENDING
ANOTHER SHIPMENT OF GRAIN TO NORTH KOREA --
70 THOUSAND METRIC TONS. AND A REPORT IN
THE CURRENT ISSUE OF THE FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC
REVIEW SAYS HUNGRY NORTH KOREANS HAVE BEEN
GATHERING ALONG THE CHINESE BORDER DESPERATELY
BEGGING FOR FOOD OR SNEAKING ACROSS INTO CHINA AT
NIGHT. SOUTH KOREAN SOURCES ARE QUOTED AS SAYING
CHINA IS ANTICIPATING A MASSIVE INFLUX OF REFUGEES.
(SIGNED)
NEB/MGB/FC
14-Apr-97 5:11 AM EDT (0911 UTC)
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