North Korean Food Shortages make Tense Situation Worse

Lamanda(Michelle) Reid/ April 9,08/7:02 p.m./poverty and inequality
The article North Korean Food Shortages make Tense Situation Worse was written by Choe Sang-Hun and published on April 4, 2008 in the International Herald Tribune. North Korea may be once again possibly facing a food shortage. Due to bad crops, high prices, and a nuclear standoff North Korea may face another famine. During the 1990’s North Korea faced a famine where one million people died. During last year’s harvest floods ruined approximately eleven to thirteen percent of the food. Due to higher global prices, they can’t afford to import grain. China is a food supplier of North Korea and they have raised tariffs on all foods leaving the country. Each year South Korea is supposed to give North Korea a food allowance, this hasn’t been the case yet this year. It is very hard for the north to be self-sufficient; they depend on the south and supplies from them. North Korea has a history of not wanting outside help and they typically wait to the last minute. Grain prices in North Korea have risen seventy percent since last year because of the food shortage scare. Even during a good harvest year, North Korea still is unable to feed approximately twenty percent of it’s population. On average North Korea asks South Korea to give 300,000 tons of fertilizer and 500,000 tons of rice.
This is a very sad situation. People are suffering and the North Korean government is too stubborn to ask for international help. As usual the poor people are going to suffer the most; they unlike the wealthy will be soon unable to afford simple things such as food. This is a true inequality against the poor.