Essay, Research Paper: Famine In North Korea

Famine in North Korea
Famine, real, gawd-awful death-dealing famine is now a reality in North Korea. North Korea is a poor country with a detestable Government. There is no doubt that the famine is, in part, caused by their improper government and partly by devastating floods and drought in 1995 and 1996 which destroyed a substantial proportion of its crop land , pushing the country to the brink of famine. Corrupt, sluggish leaders govern in their "peace-loving people's republics" and the people starve. The heaviest death rates are among children 0-6 years old at 45 percent.1 In November of 1998, it was estimated that at least 5 million people have been faced with starvation and malnutrition in a country of 23 million.2 This may not be Africa - the North Koreans will not show us heart-breaking videos of starving babies - but it is a famine. If we are all we claim to be - kinder and gentler, etc. - then we must help. The devastating effects that the food shortage crisis has had on the country and missions which are being implemented to alleviate the food crisis are essential in North Korea.
Ravaging floods and drought dealt a serious blow to the country's agriculture further restraining its ability to feed its population. There has been widespread damage, particularly in key agricultural zones which produce some 60 percent of DPRK's3 food grain, principally rice. In DPRK, staple food consists of rice and maize. These two crops constitute the main food grains produced in the country, accounting for almost two-thirds of the country's total arable land of about 2 million hectares. Rice is grown mostly on the flat plains in the south, while maize grows mostly on the slopes. Rice, which is widely irrigated, is transplanted during mid-May to early June and harvested from late September to October. By contrast, maize is large rain fed. Clearly a poor performance of rains affects maize more than rice. Thus, the 1997 drought had a devastating effect on maize production, while it has been the breakdown of the irrigation system due to lack of spare parts and fuel that has been causing the bulk of the damage to rice production. In DPRK, an intensive rainfall period, (as a result of a cyclonic effect from the west), usually spans the period from July to the end of August. The normal rainfall pattern suffered severe disruptions during 1995-97, including extensive flooding in 1995 and 1996 and the worst drought for decades in 1997. It returned to normal in 1998. However, it should be stressed that as a result of torrential rains during July to August of 1998, localized floods occurred in certain areas, (notably on the east coast), submerging crops for periods ranging from a few hours to over two days.
As a result of the country's restraining ability to feed its people, the worsening nutritional status of the population has effectively reduced the productivity and intensity of labour input on which agricultural productivity depends heavily due to a decline in mechanisation. There are virtually no machines and almost every kind of labour has to be done by hand. For one thing, machinery and equipment in industry, agriculture and other sectors were obtained and installed in the 1950s and 1960s, and are now outdated or in poor condition. In many cases, spare parts are needed just to keep the machines or equipment in operation. In other cases, without modernization and rehabilitation, their operation is not possible, and often replacement is necessary. The industrial base established in DPRK had enabled the country to mechanise agriculture in a major way. But economic difficulties experienced in the 1990s, provoked by the recent disasters, has worn away the industrial as well as the agricultural mechanisation base, leaving most of the labour to be performed by hand. Consequently factories are silent, roads and bridges are in shambles, and there is a decline in agricultural productivity. Therefore, food security critically depends on general economic performance.
North Korea's socialist economy has recorded minus growth for seven consecutive years. The basic deficiency of the socialist economy is its centralized plannification which does not take into account the present and the future needs of the population in various parts of the country. The economy of DPRK made a strong recovery from around the mid-1950s, with both agriculture and industry growing rapidly. By contrast, the economy showed a serious decline since the early 1990s.4 The consecutive major natural disasters in the form of floods in 1995 and 1996 and tidal waves and drought in 1997, coming as they did on top of several years of slowdown and inactivity, shattered the economy and brought into focus the underlying leadership and economic strategy problems of the system. In rural areas of the country, free markets are prevailing but the volume of trade in those markets is limited. They barter for rice and daily necessities because the official distribution system has collapsed. Analysts at the Korea Development Institute estimate that the average household relies on barter for 70 percent of total consumption.5 A large contributor to the collapse of the economy is absurd amounts of money going into their military to increase major weaponry. North Korea exports $500 million worth of missiles a year.6 The food crisis facing North Koreans today is largely due to this neglectful spending.
Furthermore, the incidence of dietary deficiencies and disease have increased due to the substantial decline in food supply. Food rations through the Public Distribution System have been maintained at between 100 and 200 grams per person per day, compared to a minimum requirement of 450 grams.7 Farm stocks are also near depletion as the majority of households are estimated to have received 40 percent or less of normal cereal portion at the last harvest.8 As a result of the depleted stocks, some families have to live on an assortment of alternative 'foods', such as grasses and roots. Additionally, the consumption of meat and dairy products is negligible since the majority of livestock have been selected due to the lack of feed over the last two years. In some cases malnutrition has become chronic and life threatening, while in some households visited, starvation related deaths were reported. According to the WFP9, some 16 percent of North Korean children under seven suffer from acute malnutrition, more than in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and most of African countries. 65 percent of children examined were small for their age.10 This is continuing condition which indicates that the nutrition problem has probably existed in the country for many years. Acute malnutrition was found to be twice as prevalent in boys than in girls. In the capitol Pyongyang and two other major cities, acute malnutrition was found to be less than in rural areas. The worst affected are toddlers between the age of 12 to 24 months.11 This is the age when children are most susceptible to malnutrition. Malnutrition at such an early age can impair growth and have repercussions for the future of the country.
Unfortunately, it was discovered by a group of relief workers, "Doctors Without Borders", that the North Korean government had cut their charity's activities and had distributed aid primarily to North Koreans who were most loyal to the communist government. North Korea is a Communist state ruled by a divine right of one person. Entering the streets in the capital city of Pyongyang it is suggested right away that tribute is paid to the statue of the Great Leader. In industrial towns, the factories are silent. North Korea's huge army is a constant presence. Relief workers fear that the food is being diverted to feed the North Korean military. The relief workers from "Doctors Without Borders" were told by North Korean officials that they could only go to the hospitals or the clinics. They cannot speak with people, they can't see villages, and they cannot find a solution.
In view of the rapidly deteriorating food situation, an FAO12/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission was fielded to DPRK. The main objectives of the mission were to assess the prevailing food supply situation and review prospects for food grain production. The country has been able to import some 333 000 tons of grain, but the amount and pace of imports have been grossly inadequate to ensure regular food supplies, (even at severely reduced levels), to the majority of the population. The level of food assistance pledged or delivered through UN13 and NGO14 sources will only cover a small part of needs. The country, therefore, still has a cereal deficit in spite of substantial reductions in the use of grain for animal feed and industrial uses.
In addition, the UN agencies and NGOs issued a Consolidated Appeal calling for $376 million, of which $101 million has been pledged, to meet the humanitarian needs of close to 5.5 million vulnerable people in the DPRK in 1999. The bulk of the assistance required, almost 90 percent, is for food assistance and the promotion of food security. Projects in the health sector account for approximately 10 percent, and the remaining amount will support education, capacity-building and coordination activities. After extensive consultations among Pyongyang-based agencies from the UN and non-governmental community, appealing organizations have developed a common humanitarian action plan for 1999. The plan aims at meeting the immediate requirements of food, promoting agricultural rehabilitation, ensuring immediate public health care, providing educational support concerning food and nutrition, assuring water supplies and sanitation, and supporting national capacity-building. An early and generous response to this appeal is essential to enable the humanitarian community to respond to the immediate needs of the country and help prevent further deterioration in the nutritional status and health of the vulnerable population.
Another international effort to ease the North Korean food crisis is the Republic of Korea who is providing 50,000 tons of corn and 300 tons of powdered milk. The Republic of Korea is the second largest donor after the U.S. in international aid efforts to North Korea. This $10 million shipment brings the Republic of Korea's total contribution to the people of North Korea to $19 million in the past few months. Efforts are being made to ensure the quickest possible delivery of this aid through the UN agency. The Republic of Korea's contribution controls a large part in the WFP's efforts to ship 200,000 tons of food aid to North Korea this year (1998). Since 1995, the Republic of Korea has provided food and relief supplies, (such as food and medical treatment), to North Korea valued at about $250 million.
An additional mission includes the monitoring visits by the WFP to PDS Centres, nurseries, kindergartens, hospitals, food-for-work sites and beneficiary contact monitoring including visits to beneficiary households. The purpose of the monitoring visits are to ensure that food commodities are flowing as planned and reach the intended beneficiaries. As well to identify areas where improvements are needed. At each of these monitoring visits, check lists specially designed for these visits are completed. The check lists are completed on the basis of interviews carried out with officials and beneficiaries. The information obtained form the records of the institutions visited, and observations made by the monitors. The information from these check lists is analyzed and used for managerial decisions to further strengthen the operations.
In the short term, food assistance is needed to meet the minimum consumption requirements of the population, particularly the vulnerable groups (children, pregnant and lactating women, and sick people). However, the needs of recovery, rehabilitation and development of the economy in general, and of the agriculture sector in particular, must be addressed urgently to enable the country to produce food to its full potential and pursue self-supporting economic and social development. Rehabilitation and development of the irrigation system (pumps, pipes, drainage networks) is urgently needed. The issue of flood management needs to be emphasized. Indeed, improved water management focusing on both irrigation and flood management should be the overall goal to be pursued. Crop diversification would enhance soil productivity in the long run and reduce risk of crop losses in any one year due to unfavorable weather conditions. In addition, more research is needed on effective crop rotation schemes including leguminous crops to promote soil fertility and productivity. Seed improvement and further research on the development of blended crop and livestock systems is also needed . While a revitalized agricultural sector remains the cornerstone of food security in DPRK, the general economic performance is a crucial determinant of how far agriculture can be developed and food security of the population ensured on a sustainable basis.
Furthermore, natural hazards during the past three years dealt a further blow to the food security, accentuating the gravity of the food supply difficulties in the country. The food crisis is also a result of the leadership and economic strategy of the country. Large-scale international food assistance over the past three years has been instrumental in alleviating the serious consequences of food shortages for a large segment of the population, particularly vulnerable groups including children, pregnant and lactating women and sick people. However, it must be stressed that large food assistance interventions are unlikely to be sustained for too long a period. Hence, it is time that efforts and resources are directed towards rehabilitation of the agriculture sector to realise its full production potential. Targeted food assistance provided over the last four years and the coping strategies by the Government and the people have played an important role in preventing widespread starvation in the country. Relief assistance needs to be combined with recovery efforts to revive the national agricultural sector to enable it to grow more food for its population.