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| ▲ In this file image captured from the unification ministry's YouTube channel, World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley delivers a keynote speech via video during a seminar in the northeastern county of Yanggu on Oct. 28, 2021. (Yonhap) |
unification minister-WFP chief
Unification minister meets WFP chief to discuss N. Korea food, fertilizer situation
SEOUL, July 14 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Kwon Young-se met Thursday with the head of the World Food Programme (WFP) to discuss North Korea's chronic food problem amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the meeting, Kwon expressed appreciation to WFP Executive Director David Beasley for his efforts in improving the North's food insecurity and called for continued interest.
"I would like to clarify once again that the government will continue to actively seek humanitarian cooperation related to North Korea's food issue regardless of the political and military situation," Kwon said.
Beasley voiced concerns over the impact of global climate change and the Ukraine-Russia war on the food situation in North Korea.
"With conflict, droughts, flooding, climate shocks, COVID-19 economic deterioration, and now the Ukrainian crisis, it truly is impacting everyone. And the fertilizer issue is definitely impacting the world, and DPRK will be no exception to that," he said. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
He also expressed hopes that the coronavirus virus restrictions in the North will be eased to allow "operations to scale back up and reach the children and families in need."
North Korea is known for chronic food shortages that have been apparently aggravated in recent years due to typhoons, flooding and the coronavirus pandemic.
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