EU provides food aid to North Korea to spread food crisis

The European Commission decided on the 4th that it will provide North Korea with emergency food assistance worth 10 million euros (about 14.52 million U.S. dollars).

EU experts visited North Korea in June to visit local hospitals, clinics, kindergartens, nurseries, markets, cooperative farms, etc., and have preliminary judgments on the situation in North Korea. Afterwards, the EU and North Korea reached an agreement on providing emergency food aid.

The European Commission said in a communique that day that emergency food aid was mainly targeted at children under five years of age suffering from acute malnutrition, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, inpatients and the elderly.

The communique did not disclose the specific provision of food aid, but emphasized that strict monitoring procedures will be implemented. George Ava, executive member of the European Union’s humanitarian assistance service, said: “Our experts have seen children in extreme malnutrition in North Korea, but they have not been able to receive timely assistance.”

George Ava judged that some parts of North Korea were clearly threatened with severe food shortages. According to an EU expert report, two-thirds of the North Korean population’s daily food supply has been affected.

According to the statistics of the European Commission, from 2007 to 2010, the European Commission provided North Korea with food assistance worth 35 million euros (about 50.79 million US dollars).