§ Ms BuckTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the British Government have provided to relieve the famine in North Korea. [70219]
340W
§ Clare ShortThe main causes of shortages of food and other basic needs in North Korea arise from its economic policies, though the problems were exacerbated by natural disasters in the mid-1990s.
Following the UK-led mission to North Korea last May during the UK Presidency, we are working with our European Union partners to provide, through the European Commission, a programme of food aid and related measures to enhance food security. In 1998 this assistance was worth about £21 million, of which UK's attributable share was about £3 million. We also support efforts to maintain a constructive dialogue with the North Korean authorities to ensure that aid is used effectively.
We have recently initiated a complementary bilateral programme of humanitarian assistance in North Korea. $1 million (about £625,000) will be provided through the United Nations Development Programme to support selected activities within the Agricultural Recovery and Environmental Protection (AREP) programme. We are allocating a similar amount to support humanitarian projects managed by British non-governmental organisations which are already established in the country.