Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Feeding North Korea: Agency Running Out of Food & Money
Aired February 10, 2004 - 06:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: An agency providing food for more than six million North Koreans says their cupboard is almost bare, so they are asking for emergency aid. They have even hit up the North Korean government for a loan.
We get more from Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): These North Korean children are the lucky ones. They don't look malnourished because they receive food rations from the World Food Program. But they remain vulnerable to malnutrition or even starvation because the agency's food pipeline is breaking.
MASOOD HYDER, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: WFP is running out of food. In fact, has run out of food in North Korea. We have 6.5 million people to feed in North Korea, children, pregnant and nursing mothers, the elderly and no food.
FLORCRUZ: WFP officials say they will be able to feed only about 100,000 of the 6.5 million North Koreans over the next two months unless they get more donations soon. The U.S., Russia and others have promised thousands of tons of food, but those shipments won't start arriving until late March. Between now and then, however, millions of North Koreans may have to face winter with empty stomachs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Carol, this emergency appeal for food aid comes only two weeks before the six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue reconvenes in Beijing. Now tough negotiations are expected, but food aid agency officials hope that these talks will make progress and will lead to more humanitarian aid -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jaime, I'm just wondering how this new revelation of starvation in North Korea could affect that nation's position as far as talks in the nuclear crisis that is going on right now?
FLORCRUZ: Well the starvation shows that North Korea is very heavily dependent on foreign aid. It's also heavily dependent on aid for power, for food. And I think that this -- the upcoming talks is just a way for North Korea to bargain their nuclear program in exchange for more aid, for more food and more energy supplies -- Carol.
COSTELLO: In the meantime, people starve to death. Jaime FlorCruz reporting live for us this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 10, 2004 - 06:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: An agency providing food for more than six million North Koreans says their cupboard is almost bare, so they are asking for emergency aid. They have even hit up the North Korean government for a loan.
We get more from Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): These North Korean children are the lucky ones. They don't look malnourished because they receive food rations from the World Food Program. But they remain vulnerable to malnutrition or even starvation because the agency's food pipeline is breaking.
MASOOD HYDER, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: WFP is running out of food. In fact, has run out of food in North Korea. We have 6.5 million people to feed in North Korea, children, pregnant and nursing mothers, the elderly and no food.
FLORCRUZ: WFP officials say they will be able to feed only about 100,000 of the 6.5 million North Koreans over the next two months unless they get more donations soon. The U.S., Russia and others have promised thousands of tons of food, but those shipments won't start arriving until late March. Between now and then, however, millions of North Koreans may have to face winter with empty stomachs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Carol, this emergency appeal for food aid comes only two weeks before the six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue reconvenes in Beijing. Now tough negotiations are expected, but food aid agency officials hope that these talks will make progress and will lead to more humanitarian aid -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jaime, I'm just wondering how this new revelation of starvation in North Korea could affect that nation's position as far as talks in the nuclear crisis that is going on right now?
FLORCRUZ: Well the starvation shows that North Korea is very heavily dependent on foreign aid. It's also heavily dependent on aid for power, for food. And I think that this -- the upcoming talks is just a way for North Korea to bargain their nuclear program in exchange for more aid, for more food and more energy supplies -- Carol.
COSTELLO: In the meantime, people starve to death. Jaime FlorCruz reporting live for us this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
