NK Sticks to Plan to Eject Food Aid Workers

From the same N.Y. Times story that covered the Leach-Lantos visit comes what is arguably a bigger story, the North’s continuing demand for the departure of international food aid workers, something I first noted here, and which World Food Program officials later denied.

The two congressmen also met with aid groups that provide food and other support to the North Korean people. In the past week, North Korean officials informed the groups that they should finish their aid work by the end of the year and begin focusing their energies on economic development. Such a move could have dire ramifications for North Korea, where foreign observers say much of the population often suffers from severe hunger. Mr. Lantos said that while it was unclear whether North Korea was bluffing, he had warned officials that such tactics would probably backfire because international development groups were subjected to much oversight and regulation.

The threats come amid reports that the food situation in North Korea has significantly worsened in recent months and that millions of North Koreans are barely surviving as things stand now. Two new reports (here and here) suggest that North Korea has recently reduced its food shortfall by growing potatoes and wheat, but that hunger persists, and that over six million North Koreans need WFP food.

In other news related only by for those with an instinct for irony, North Korea has clarified its condolences over Katrina:

MOSCOW, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – A North Korean radio station called New Orleans the American Pompeii Tuesday and blamed the Bush administration for the
considerable loss of life in the disaster.

“The U.S. government has been neglecting the poor residents of New Orleans for a long time,” the North Korean Central Radio station said, adding that the policies of the Bush administration “had become outdated” and, therefore, attract criticism.

It’s probably in the same category as the old expression about pig wrestling to try to engage North Korea in a rational discussion about outdated policies and official malignance killing the poor. If there were evidence to suggest that Katrina were anything other than a somewhat inept reaction to an exceptional act of God, I’d want the people of Louisiana to have guns and votes, too.

Oh, right.