MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce that Australia will provide $3.5 million in food aid
for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to the latest
international appeal issued by the World Food Programme (WFP).
The additional funding will contribute to the WFP's program of increasing
daily food rations for the 2.6 million North Korean children under the age of
six from 100 to 250 grams a day. It will also contribute to food for work
schemes for 250 000 flood-affected farmers and supplementary feeding for up to
one million hospital patients.
This latest contribution from Australia comes at a time when it is clear that
the food situation in North Korea is worsening, with millions of adults and
children facing malnutrition and disease.
Australia will channel its assistance though the WFP because, as one of the
few humanitarian agencies with a presence in-country, it is best able to manage
and monitor the distribution of international food aid.
Australia, through AusAID - the Australian Agency for International
Development - has already provided over $4 million, including 93 tonnes of
Australian-made high energy biscuits, to help alleviate the food crisis in the
DPRK.
This latest contribution brings the Government's total humanitarian
assistance to the DPRK to $7.5 million.
In addition, I am sending the Director of AusAID's Humanitarian Relief
Section, Mr John Munro, to North Korea in late August to participate in a WFP
mission. He will report back to me on the effectiveness of Australian aid
provided so far, the severity of the crisis and the implementation of
international monitoring arrangements.
Media contact:
Innes Willox (Mr Downer's Office) 06 277 7500 Geoff Adlide (AusAID) 06 206
4967