DATE=4/2/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-247550 TITLE=NORTH KOREA/FAMINE (L-ONLY) BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO DATELINE=BEIJING CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE UNITED NATIONS IS RENEWING ITS APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR FOOD AID TO BELEAGUERED NORTH KOREA -- SAYING THE FOOD SITUATION THERE IS NOT GETTING ANY BETTER. MEANTIME, AS V-O-A'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS, THE U-N WORLD FOOD PROGRAM SAYS ITS ACCESS TO AREAS INSIDE NORTH KOREA IS IMPROVING, BUT STILL FAR FROM COMPLETE. TEXT: DESPITE YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE, NORTH KOREA IS STILL SUFFERING FROM SEVERE FOOD SHORTAGES. DAVID MORTON, THE U-N HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR AND WORLD FOOD PROGRAM REPRESENTATIVE IN NORTH KOREA, SAYS THERE IS ONLY ENOUGH FOOD IN THE PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM TO LAST THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF THIS MONTH. // MORTON ACT // BY EARLY APRIL, THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE HARVEST WILL BE COMPLETED, AND THERE WILL BE NO MORE HARVEST LEFT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO PEOPLE UNTIL THE NEXT HARVEST COMES MUCH LATER THIS YEAR. SO, IN MAY AND JUNE, PEOPLE IN NORTH KOREA WILL HAVE TO SURVIVE ON WHATEVER COPING MECHANISMS THEY HAVE. // END ACT // DESPITE THE INCREASINGLY DESPERATE SITUATION IN NORTH KOREA, MR. MORTON SAYS INTERNATIONAL RELIEF WORKERS CANNOT TRAVEL AROUND THE COUNTRY FREELY, NOR CAN THEY DISCUSS MATTERS PRIVATELY. // MORTON ACT // WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE UNMONITORED CONVERSATIONS. // END ACT // HE ADDS THAT 25-PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY IS OFF LIMITS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY REASONS. // MORTON ACT // THE CONDITIONS FOR MONITORING IN THE D-P-R-K HAVE IMPROVED, BUT THEY'RE NOT SATISFACTORY AND WE'RE PRESSING FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS. // END ACT // THE U-N OFFICIAL SAYS INTERNATIONAL FOOD AID TO NORTH KOREA SO FAR HAS LARGELY BEEN GIVEN TO CHILDREN AND MOTHERS. HE SAYS THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY OF THIS FOOD HAS BEEN DIVERTED. // MORTON ACT // WE DON'T THINK THE AID GOES TO THE MILITARY OR TO THE OFFICIALS BECAUSE THE AID COMES IN THE FORM OF MAIZE OR WHEAT, WHICH IS NOT THE PREFERRED FOOD. THE PREFERRED FOOD IN KOREA IS RICE, AND THE RICE COMES FROM THE HARVEST, AND THEY HAVE ENOUGH FROM THE HARVEST TO FEED THEIR PRIORITY GROUPS. // END ACT // MR. MORTON SAYS THE W-F-P HAS SET UP A FOOD-FOR-WORK PROGRAM TO HELP ADULTS BECAUSE AN INCREASING NUMBER OF OUT-OF-WORK NORTH KOREANS NO LONGER GET FOOD FROM THE PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. ASKED BY REPORTERS WHETHER CONTINUED INTERNATIONAL AID TO NORTH KOREA IS PROPPING UP A REPRESSIVE STALINIST GOVERNMENT, MR. MORTON WOULD ONLY SAY THAT EACH COUNTRY CAN MAKE UP ITS OWN MIND ABOUT PROVIDING DONATIONS. // MORTON ACT // ON THE HUMANITARIAN SIDE, I THINK IT'S OUR DUTY TO IDENTIFY TO THE WORLD WHAT WE SEE AS THE PROBLEMS AND PROPOSE SOLUTIONS TO THOSE PROBLEMS. WE CAN'T CONDEMN A CHILD TO DEATH JUST BECAUSE HE OR SHE WAS BORN IN NORTH KOREA. // END ACT // MR. MORTON CONCLUDED BY SAYING HUMANITARIAN AID IS HELPING KEEP A GENERATION OF NORTH KOREAN CHILDREN FROM STARVATION, BUT IS NOT SOLVING THE COUNTRY'S PROBLEMS. HE SAYS NORTH KOREA IS MOSTLY AN INDUSTRIAL COUNTRY, AND THAT THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION WILL REQUIRE SOME SORT OF ECONOMIC REVIVAL. (SIGNED) NEB/HO/FC/PLM 02-Apr-99 5:53 AM EST (1053 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .