The government of North Korea has allowed the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to continue its work in the country. The decision comes after the country?s calls for the WFP to close its offices and replace their strategy with long-term development goals. "What the new agreement calls for is (that) the aid workers in the World Food Program can stay," New Mexico governor Bill Richardson explains, "but they probably will have to stay under a renewed definition of what development aid is." After visiting the country, Richardson said that the food drive will be immensely affected due to the government?s request for more industries. The WFP estimates that over 6.5 million people are at high risk and may experience more difficult times. Richardson said that there will be 30 WFP programs permitted by North Korea to operate, "I believe it was a show of good faith by the North Koreans," he told journalists, "My hope is that the agreement will allow the important work that humanitarian groups do in North Korea."
The U.N. food program was launched in North Korea in 1995 and has employed over 2,000 people, majority of which are women, in their factories. Food supply in the country has improved since 1995 where over 2.5 million people died of hunger. North Korea has as well declared its willingness to accept direct aid from South Korea.
Source: UN food aid work in N.Korea to continue: Richardson (Reuters)