Letting North Korea Starve - Morton Abramowitz

[Husker_x]

http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/letting-north-korea-starve-7161

 

Last month, Congress denied food aid to a half-starved nation. Senators, mostly Republicans, tried to pass legislation blocking nutritional assistance to North Korea. A determined effort by Senators Kerry and Lugar successfully inserted an amendment allowing the administration to provide food if “the President issues a national interest waiver.”

 

But waiver or not, neither Congress nor the administration wants to give food aid to North Koreans when they need it—now. They concur it is too awful a state for such consideration. Adding an amendment allows the president to leverage aid in various future contingencies, similar to the current administration’s posture of trading food to win concessions from Pyongyang on its nuclear-weapons and missile programs.

 

North Korea has almost incessant food crises, although the nature and extent of them are often difficult to verify. Nonetheless, it is clear that the situation in many areas was bad last year, particularly for children, lactating mothers and the aged; reports from the UN suggest that nearly a third of children in North Korea have been showing signs of dwarfism caused by malnutrition. Long-term exposure to starvation and the breakdown of infrastructure have also led to a rampant spread of preventable diseases such as diarrhea, further deteriorating the health of children and other vulnerable members of society.

 

Most recently, there is the uncertain factor of drought conditions in southern North Korea, often called the “cereal basket” of the country. Daily rations in those provinces have been reportedly reduced to one or two kilograms (2.2-4.4 pounds) of corn to each household, and anecdotes of people starving to death are beginning to flood across the border. The 240,000 tons of food that the United States promised to deliver under the “leap-day deal” probably represents the current food shortage in the country.

 

Despite Washington’s efforts to ignore it, the humanitarian crisis in North Korea is not going away. The UN reported that its agencies need $198 million for their activities in the country this year, but less than 40 percent of this has been donated. A number of human-rights champions such as China and Russia stepped forward with donations, but the stated requirements of the agencies are still far from met. Meanwhile, the White House, immobilized by possible political backlash, refuses to budge on funds. Indeed, our human-rights envoy to North Korea noted that the food situation was no different from other years and that drought conditions have been mitigated by brief rain—hardly a comforting analysis. It is doubtful food aid is even being seriously discussed; official statements have put it out of the range of possibilities. Pyongyang’s brethren in Seoul show even less concern.

 

At the same time, U.S. representatives do not seem inclined toward negotiations, emphasizing that the leap-day deal was only a reaffirmation of UN Security Council resolutions to which North Korea is still bound—this notwithstanding that North Korea abrogated the agreement in April with its rocket launch. While cancelling food aid, Washington left open the possibility of using the leverage it has through the Kerry-Lugar amendment.

 

The present position seems to remove the responsibility of humanitarian assistance from Washington, whatever the depth and extent of the food problem. Washington also argues that the launch proves North Korea can’t be trusted to allow food to reach the needy. To further extricate itself from any notion of responsibility, Secretary Clinton and other high officials simply obsess, however true, about the depravity of the Pyongyang regime. The humanitarian community remains uncharacteristically reticent on the continuing disaster—something of a first.

 

By our own standards of human rights and humanitarian principles, the United States should stop stalling on the issue of food assistance and work toward a solution. If Washington is too uncomfortable dealing directly with Pyongyang, then the World Food Program and other UN agencies stand ready to communicate with North Korea on our behalf and find some way to get food to some of the North Korean people badly in need. Washington seems unprepared to take any steps—a remarkable performance for the world’s leading food donor.

 

Morton Abramowitz is a senior fellow at The Century Foundation and a member of The National Interest's advisory council.

 

Sounds to me like there is an underlying and unreported political issue at work. In any case, every day that this despicable regime stands is a human rights travesty all over again. The unfortunate reality is it is always the people, the civilians, and the weak that suffer most--not the tyrants. With China at their backs I have no idea what the long-term strategy is to break this government. One would think considering the amazing prosperity of South Korea in the last half-century the North would be running in that direction. No accounting for sanity in a theocratic state, I suppose.

[Yossarian]

http://nationalinter...rea-starve-7161

 

Last month, Congress denied food aid to a half-starved nation. Senators, mostly Republicans, tried to pass legislation blocking nutritional assistance to North Korea. A determined effort by Senators Kerry and Lugar successfully inserted an amendment allowing the administration to provide food if “the President issues a national interest waiver.”

 

But waiver or not, neither Congress nor the administration wants to give food aid to North Koreans when they need it—now. They concur it is too awful a state for such consideration. Adding an amendment allows the president to leverage aid in various future contingencies, similar to the current administration’s posture of trading food to win concessions from Pyongyang on its nuclear-weapons and missile programs.

 

North Korea has almost incessant food crises, although the nature and extent of them are often difficult to verify. Nonetheless, it is clear that the situation in many areas was bad last year, particularly for children, lactating mothers and the aged; reports from the UN suggest that nearly a third of children in North Korea have been showing signs of dwarfism caused by malnutrition. Long-term exposure to starvation and the breakdown of infrastructure have also led to a rampant spread of preventable diseases such as diarrhea, further deteriorating the health of children and other vulnerable members of society.

 

Most recently, there is the uncertain factor of drought conditions in southern North Korea, often called the “cereal basket” of the country. Daily rations in those provinces have been reportedly reduced to one or two kilograms (2.2-4.4 pounds) of corn to each household, and anecdotes of people starving to death are beginning to flood across the border. The 240,000 tons of food that the United States promised to deliver under the “leap-day deal” probably represents the current food shortage in the country.

 

Despite Washington’s efforts to ignore it, the humanitarian crisis in North Korea is not going away. The UN reported that its agencies need $198 million for their activities in the country this year, but less than 40 percent of this has been donated. A number of human-rights champions such as China and Russia stepped forward with donations, but the stated requirements of the agencies are still far from met. Meanwhile, the White House, immobilized by possible political backlash, refuses to budge on funds. Indeed, our human-rights envoy to North Korea noted that the food situation was no different from other years and that drought conditions have been mitigated by brief rain—hardly a comforting analysis. It is doubtful food aid is even being seriously discussed; official statements have put it out of the range of possibilities. Pyongyang’s brethren in Seoul show even less concern.

 

At the same time, U.S. representatives do not seem inclined toward negotiations, emphasizing that the leap-day deal was only a reaffirmation of UN Security Council resolutions to which North Korea is still bound—this notwithstanding that North Korea abrogated the agreement in April with its rocket launch. While cancelling food aid, Washington left open the possibility of using the leverage it has through the Kerry-Lugar amendment.

 

The present position seems to remove the responsibility of humanitarian assistance from Washington, whatever the depth and extent of the food problem. Washington also argues that the launch proves North Korea can’t be trusted to allow food to reach the needy. To further extricate itself from any notion of responsibility, Secretary Clinton and other high officials simply obsess, however true, about the depravity of the Pyongyang regime. The humanitarian community remains uncharacteristically reticent on the continuing disaster—something of a first.

 

By our own standards of human rights and humanitarian principles, the United States should stop stalling on the issue of food assistance and work toward a solution. If Washington is too uncomfortable dealing directly with Pyongyang, then the World Food Program and other UN agencies stand ready to communicate with North Korea on our behalf and find some way to get food to some of the North Korean people badly in need. Washington seems unprepared to take any steps—a remarkable performance for the world’s leading food donor.

 

Morton Abramowitz is a senior fellow at The Century Foundation and a member of The National Interest's advisory council.

 

Sounds to me like there is an underlying and unreported political issue at work. In any case, every day that this despicable regime stands is a human rights travesty all over again. The unfortunate reality is it is always the people, the civilians, and the weak that suffer most--not the tyrants. With China at their backs I have no idea what the long-term strategy is to break this government. One would think considering the amazing prosperity of South Korea in the last half-century the North would be running in that direction. No accounting for sanity in a theocratic state, I suppose.

 

Having spent some time in the Land of the Morning Calm, I am of two minds concerning the DPRK. The general population starves while the military and the kleptocrats get fat. The Government needs to be eradicated but the average Kim needs to be cared for, fed, and given a secure place to live and thrive. The DPRK used to send spies south all of the time, but as soon as they saw the lights of Seoul, they realized that everything they had been told about the South was a pack of lies - so they came over to the ROK side. Just recently, the Chinese agreed to take some more DPRK workers - their money will go directly into their Government's coffers, but at least they will get to eat.

[Husker_x]

http://nationalinter...rea-starve-7161

 

Last month, Congress denied food aid to a half-starved nation. Senators, mostly Republicans, tried to pass legislation blocking nutritional assistance to North Korea. A determined effort by Senators Kerry and Lugar successfully inserted an amendment allowing the administration to provide food if “the President issues a national interest waiver.”

 

But waiver or not, neither Congress nor the administration wants to give food aid to North Koreans when they need it—now. They concur it is too awful a state for such consideration. Adding an amendment allows the president to leverage aid in various future contingencies, similar to the current administration’s posture of trading food to win concessions from Pyongyang on its nuclear-weapons and missile programs.

 

North Korea has almost incessant food crises, although the nature and extent of them are often difficult to verify. Nonetheless, it is clear that the situation in many areas was bad last year, particularly for children, lactating mothers and the aged; reports from the UN suggest that nearly a third of children in North Korea have been showing signs of dwarfism caused by malnutrition. Long-term exposure to starvation and the breakdown of infrastructure have also led to a rampant spread of preventable diseases such as diarrhea, further deteriorating the health of children and other vulnerable members of society.

 

Most recently, there is the uncertain factor of drought conditions in southern North Korea, often called the “cereal basket” of the country. Daily rations in those provinces have been reportedly reduced to one or two kilograms (2.2-4.4 pounds) of corn to each household, and anecdotes of people starving to death are beginning to flood across the border. The 240,000 tons of food that the United States promised to deliver under the “leap-day deal” probably represents the current food shortage in the country.

 

Despite Washington’s efforts to ignore it, the humanitarian crisis in North Korea is not going away. The UN reported that its agencies need $198 million for their activities in the country this year, but less than 40 percent of this has been donated. A number of human-rights champions such as China and Russia stepped forward with donations, but the stated requirements of the agencies are still far from met. Meanwhile, the White House, immobilized by possible political backlash, refuses to budge on funds. Indeed, our human-rights envoy to North Korea noted that the food situation was no different from other years and that drought conditions have been mitigated by brief rain—hardly a comforting analysis. It is doubtful food aid is even being seriously discussed; official statements have put it out of the range of possibilities. Pyongyang’s brethren in Seoul show even less concern.

 

At the same time, U.S. representatives do not seem inclined toward negotiations, emphasizing that the leap-day deal was only a reaffirmation of UN Security Council resolutions to which North Korea is still bound—this notwithstanding that North Korea abrogated the agreement in April with its rocket launch. While cancelling food aid, Washington left open the possibility of using the leverage it has through the Kerry-Lugar amendment.

 

The present position seems to remove the responsibility of humanitarian assistance from Washington, whatever the depth and extent of the food problem. Washington also argues that the launch proves North Korea can’t be trusted to allow food to reach the needy. To further extricate itself from any notion of responsibility, Secretary Clinton and other high officials simply obsess, however true, about the depravity of the Pyongyang regime. The humanitarian community remains uncharacteristically reticent on the continuing disaster—something of a first.

 

By our own standards of human rights and humanitarian principles, the United States should stop stalling on the issue of food assistance and work toward a solution. If Washington is too uncomfortable dealing directly with Pyongyang, then the World Food Program and other UN agencies stand ready to communicate with North Korea on our behalf and find some way to get food to some of the North Korean people badly in need. Washington seems unprepared to take any steps—a remarkable performance for the world’s leading food donor.

 

Morton Abramowitz is a senior fellow at The Century Foundation and a member of The National Interest's advisory council.

 

Sounds to me like there is an underlying and unreported political issue at work. In any case, every day that this despicable regime stands is a human rights travesty all over again. The unfortunate reality is it is always the people, the civilians, and the weak that suffer most--not the tyrants. With China at their backs I have no idea what the long-term strategy is to break this government. One would think considering the amazing prosperity of South Korea in the last half-century the North would be running in that direction. No accounting for sanity in a theocratic state, I suppose.

 

Having spent some time in the Land of the Morning Calm, I am of two minds concerning the DPRK. The general population starves while the military and the kleptocrats get fat. The Government needs to be eradicated but the average Kim needs to be cared for, fed, and given a secure place to live and thrive. The DPRK used to send spies south all of the time, but as soon as they saw the lights of Seoul, they realized that everything they had been told about the South was a pack of lies - so they came over to the ROK side. Just recently, the Chinese agreed to take some more DPRK workers - their money will go directly into their Government's coffers, but at least they will get to eat.

 

Same. The road to peace and eventual prosperity doesn't seem to me any easier by letting a population of helpless and brainwashed peasants starve to death.

[zoogs]

I don't think China really has their back. At least the impression I get is things have been a little icy there of late, North Korea being weird and all.

[Husker_x]

I don't think China really has their back. At least the impression I get is things have been a little icy there of late, North Korea being weird and all.

 

If the US wants North Korea to be a democratic state, you can almost guarantee China will go out of their way to see to the opposite if for no other reason than to hinder our influence.

[Foppa]

Even if the U.S. sent food aid to N Korea, and even if the N Korean government gave it to the people and not the soldiers, the N Korean gov't would never let the people know where the food came from. They would put a spin on it to make it look like the government waved a magic wand and made it appear. Or better yet, that they attacked American bases and took the food reserves that the Americans had originally stolen from N Korea.

 

It's a bad situation. These people don't deserve what they're getting (or not getting, food-wise). Hopefully one day the people get so desperate and hungry that they overthrow their pudgy, psycho ruler and can live in a civilized world.

[zoogs]

Oh, that's probably true. I can't remember specifically now, I just vaguely remember some PRC exasperation at various DPRK's antics. I do wonder what the long-term strat is.

 

Foppa, we should put little American flag stickers everywhere inside the food packaging hahaha.

[Foppa]

I don't think China really has their back. At least the impression I get is things have been a little icy there of late, North Korea being weird and all.

 

If the US wants North Korea to be a democratic state, you can almost guarantee China will go out of their way to see to the opposite if for no other reason than to hinder our influence.

 

Good point. But you have to think eventually there's a tipping point. Just wonder how it tips...

[Ziggy]

That was a poorly written article, very hard to read all the way through. Since when did diarrhea become a disease and not a symptom? And China and Russia are champions of human rights....come on. But North Korean is a tough nut to crack, you gotta feel for the people but the government is one of the worst in history. It’s sad that it has been propped up for so long by China and Russia much like Syria and Iran.

[Hayseed]

Whatever N. Korea's situation, it's none of our business. Let the communist Chinese feed them.

[strigori]

Until the people of a nation decide enough is enough there is never a regime change. It sounds harsh, but not helping the North Koreans is in the long term a better option. If it gets to a tipping point (and starvation, historically, is one of those points) the people can over throw the dictators. Giving aid to NK only strengthens the regime.

[Yossarian]

Unfortunately, there is a complicating factor, and that is the large number of Korean families that were split up by the Korean War. The South Koreans put a lot of pressure on their Government to try and reunite families while the North Koreans exploit that situation for all it's worth. They (the DPRK) will arrange for families from the south to travel north to reunite with their families for a weekend and then at the last moment cancel the visit based upon a trumped up crisis. I believe that the only reason the PRC supports the DPRK (and it's not much support) is because they don't want the some 20 million North Koreans flooding China should the regime fall. The border between China and North Korea is an open border as far as the Chinese are concerned...all of the guards are on the DPRK side to keep the Koreans out of China. Huge black market across the common border - mostly from Koreans going over to China to work at slave wages and bringing back used clothing and other things not available in North Korea - like food.

[zoogs]

Whatever N. Korea's situation, it's none of our business. Let the communist Chinese feed them.

 

They're not Communist, but I agree. I'm not sure it's our responsibility to feed them if their regime is uncooperative.

['SkersRule]

Until the people of a nation decide enough is enough there is never a regime change. It sounds harsh, but not helping the North Koreans is in the long term a better option. If it gets to a tipping point (and starvation, historically, is one of those points) the people can over throw the dictators. Giving aid to NK only strengthens the regime.

 

Not to mention that seemingly every time the USA has intervened in other countries affairs with the intention of doing good and helping it usually goes sideways and backfires.

 

On a side note: I'm completely shocked that a left leaning state controlled economy never works on its own.

[zoogs]

I think calling North Korea a "left-leaning state economy" would be like calling Adolf Hitler "lightly disinclined to favor Jews."