DATE=11/30/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-269865

TITLE=W-F-P / NORTH KOREA (L-O)

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The head of the U-N World Food Program says that millions of North Koreans will go hungry next year if they do not get international aid. Lisa Schlein has the story from Geneva .

TEXT: The World Food Program says North Korea is not at risk of famine but is in a critical state. W-F-P Executive Director Catherine Bertini tells V-O-A that the massive quantities of food that have been given to North Korea during the past five-years have kept millions of people alive.

Ms. Bertini says North Korea will still need huge amounts of aid for the foreseeable future.

/// BERTINI ACT ///

The country does not grow enough to feed itself. It is a mountainous country, with a cold climate. It can not grow enough even if it did have modern agricultural practices, fertilizers and so forth. So, even if it had all that and it decreased its need, there still would be a shortfall.

/// END ACT ///

W-F-P officials say the agency, which feeds eight-million of North Korea's 22-million people, has access to two-thirds of the country. In those areas, it feeds every child from pre-school to secondary school. W-F-P also provides food for pregnant and breast-feeding women, as well as other vulnerable people. Ms. Bertini says there is a high degree of malnutrition and stunting among children who have not had enough to eat for years.

She says people living in the countryside are better off than those in the cities because city residents cannot supplement their food rations by farming.

/// 2nd BERTINI ACT ///

People living in cities throughout the country - and the majority of people do live in urban areas - have no opportunity to have any other food other than what is provided through the school or government distribution. So, it is absolutely critical that we continue to be successful in raising resources for North Korea because it actually is the difference between life and illnesses, if not death.

/// END ACT ///

U-N agencies are seeking nearly 400-million U-S dollars in aid to North Korea. Most of this money (318-million dollars) will go to buy food, but some will be devoted to increasing agricultural production, controlling diseases, and cleaning up water supplies and sanitation facilities. (SIGNED)

NEB/LS/KL/RAE