UNICEF REPORTS SHORTAGE OF ENERGY IN NORTH KOREA
Eugene Bell Foundation is an Option for Some

News article is below. Also the food shortages continue to be a problem. For those of you interested in helping out the starving in North Korea, you can consider the Eugene Bell Foundation. Some of you might be concerned whether the food is properly delivered to those in need or to North Korea's military, but I know this organization has ensured this to the best possible degree. Dr. Stephen Linton, the founder, visits North Korea often with these shipments for his own comfort. Linton is a descendant of one of the two historic missionary families in Korea. The other are the Underwoods who founded Yonsei University, which is one of the top universities in Korea.

My parents have also known Dr. Stephen Linton for years and have fundraised for his non-profit organization in the past. For those of you in Korea and concerned about any pro-North Korea ties (read my prior posts on this subject), my family in South Korea were strong supporters of Lee Hoi-Chang's presidential campaign and have a distaste for former President DJ Kim's "Sunshine Policy" towards North Korea. Anyway, if you are interested in providing humanitarian aid to the starving in North Korea consider the Eugene Bell Foundation.


UNICEF: N. Korea Starved for Energy

BY JAE-SUK YOO
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea lacks enough electricity to pump clean water or heat schools while food shortages still threaten children in the impoverished nation, UNICEF chief Carol Bellamy said Wednesday.

"There is a lot of water in the North, but they don't have the capacity to get that water to people because their electricity system is not working," Bellamy told reporters in Seoul after a recent three-day visit to North Korea.

She said her U.N. children's agency is trying to build a gravity-driven water system in the North.

North Korea's already dire energy situation has further deteriorated since late 2002 amid an international standoff over the communist state's nuclear weapons program. The United States and its allies cut off annual shipments of 500,000 tons of free oil, in retaliation of Pyongyang's nuclear moves.

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Food shortages also remain a grave threat to children in North Korea.

"We still estimate that there are about 70,000 children ... that are suffering from severe malnutrition," Bellamy said. "The challenges for children and the women obviously remain quite stark and quite significant."

North Korea has been relying on outside help to feed its 22 million populace since the mid-1990s due to economic mismanagement, loss of Soviet subsidies and years of bad weather. More than 200,000 - some say 2 million - have since died of hunger and hunger-related diseases. (full article)