Canadian Food Aid to North Korea

WINNIPEG - May 20/05 - SNS -- Canadian Foodgrains Bank is readying to load a ship with 10,000 metric tons (MT) of wheat to North Korea next week and will follow up with a 1,320 MT soybean shipment in June.

"The need for food aid in North Korea has not diminished," says Jim Cornelius, executive director of Canadian Foodgrains Bank. "Critical food shortages are being experienced and our food will help fill urgent needs."

"Some people may question why we'd send food into North Korea, given recent reports of their efforts to develop nuclear weapons," continues Cornelius, "but we feel it is our responsibility, as a Christian food aid organization, to help the most vulnerable people in North Korea who do not have enough to eat, particularly children and pregnant and nursing mothers. We cannot stand idly by when people are suffering."

The initial shipment of 10,000 MT of Western Canadian wheat will be supplied by the Canadian Wheat Board and shipped out of Vancouver on the M/V "Atlantic Diamond". The vessel is scheduled to arrive in Vancouver this week, where it will be loaded with the wheat. It will then depart for two North Korean ports, Hamhung and Chungjin, for expected arrival in the latter part of June. The 1,320 MT of soybeans are expected to depart from Canada in June, with delivery to North Korea via the Chinese port of Dalian.

The wheat and soybeans from this shipment will be used as ingredients to produce special fortified food products for children in orphanages, nurseries, kindergartens, and primary schools, as well as for pregnant and nursing mothers. Approximately 895,000 people will benefit from this project. Prior to this shipment, Canadian Foodgrains Bank has shipped over 86,000 MT of food aid into North Korea since 1996. Canadian Foodgrains Bank is also working to help increase food production in North Korea.

Together with other international organizations such as Caritas and World Vision, the Foodgrains Bank has a permanent office in North Korea specifically to plan and monitor humanitarian contributions provided by these organization. Jean-Frederic Beauchesne, a Canadian citizen, is head of this office, which is housed within the World Food Programme (WFP).

"I will be monitoring the arrival of the food and ensuring it is delivered to the people who need it," says Beauchesne. "Since I arrived in Pyongyang in late April, the major concern has been that critical food aid programs are quickly running out of food. While the severity of the situation is not so obvious in Pyongyang, the reality is that, elsewhere in the country, millions of people cannot access enough food to meet their daily needs.

"Major food shortages in North Korea seem to be escalating to a crisis level, and millions of Koreans are now in survival mode. Due to a lack of large donations since October, WFP has been forced to cease various food supplies to large numbers of beneficiaries, including children and pregnant and nursing women."

"The Foodgrains Bank's shipment couldn't come at a better time." continues Beauchesne. "The two Canadian shipments will be key to combating high malnutrition rates across the country. As a Canadian, it will be a proud moment when the first bags of Canadian aid, bearing our maple leaf, are off-loaded in Hungnam."

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is made up of 13 church-based member agencies. This project demonstrates the effectiveness of its ecumenical structure. Ten of the member agencies are actively involved in the funding of this project (Presbyterian World Service and Development, United Church of Canada, Mennonite Central Committee, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, The Salvation Army, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee of Canada, Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, World Relief Canada, and Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada).

"We couldn't do this alone," says Rick Fee, Presbyterian World Service and Development representative and chairperson of the board of the Foodgrains Bank. "This is a significant project, and we are very happy to be able to work in partnership with these other agencies. That's what gives the Foodgrains Bank its strength - the ability to draw on the resources of 13 different agencies to ensure hungry people receive food."

The project is also being supported by funding from Canadian International Development Agency on a 4:1 matching basis. This government support enables the project to reach many more people than would otherwise be possible.