U.S. plans 500,000 metric ton food aid shipment to North Korea
The U.S. government plans to deliver up to 500,000 metric tons of food aid over 12 months to North Korea, starting in June.
'An experts' meeting will be convened in Pyongyang in the near future to work out operational matters and commence detailed implementation of the program,' said the U.S. Agency for International Development, in a May 16 statement. 'Premised on a successful outcome of those discussions, the United States will deliver a first shipment in June, in light of the urgency of North Korea's food shortfall.'
The United Nations' World Food Program will distribute about 400,000 metric tons with the rest handled by U.S. non-governmental organizations. The United States and North Korea have agreed to allow WFP and NGO staff broad geographic access to populations in need and the ability to effectively monitor the distribution of U.S. commodities, USAID said.
The food aid will come from the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust. The exact delivery schedule and commodity mix have yet to be determined.
