Thomas P. Broughan
Question:45 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps, if any, his Department has taken with the appropriate international authorities in relation to the alleviation of hunger in North Korea. [14729/97]
Written Answers - Korean Food Shortages.
Austin Deasy
Question:48 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans, if any, he has to visit North Korea to see the extent of the famine there at first hand. [14711/97]
Austin Deasy
Question:54 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the humanitarian aid, if any, which is being provided by the Government for famine relief in North Korea. [14712/97]
Eamon Gilmore
Question:57 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government intends to provide any additional aid or to urge international action on foot of the report of the Trócaire-led delegation to North Korea in view of the dangers of significant deaths through starvation during the coming winter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14713/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 45, 48, 54 and 57 together.
The Government has been monitoring closely the serious humanitarian crisis in North Korea where a situation of chronic food shortages has been exacerbated by severe flooding in the last two years followed by drought.
The Government has, in the past year, given a total of £615,000 in emergency assistance for North Korea. This assistance was channelled through the United Nations World Food Programme and through Trócaire and its sister agency Caritas Hong Kong. A further grant of £100,000 was approved this week to supply emergency food aid.
The international response up to now has been good. The two appeals issued so far by the World Food Programme have been almost fully funded. The European Commission has donated 56.7 million ECU, mainly through the World Food Programme. However, it is estimated that 70 per cent of the harvest due next month has been destroyed by drought and North Korea will face severe food shortages this winter. Ireland has suggested that the situation be further discussed at the next Food Aid Committee meeting in October.
We share the view that, if a measure of food security is to be assured in the future, the serious underlying structural problems in the agricultural sector in North Korea must also be addressed.
I do not think it would be appropriate for an Irish Minister to visit North Korea at this time. It is the agreed approach of EU member states to keep such contacts to a minimum while encouraging a positive stance by North Korea in the ongoing four-party talks process. However, my Department is considering sending a technical mission in the near future to monitor the impact of our assistance and to assess future needs. We have been following developments continuously and been in close touch with international organisations and NGOs such as Trócaire which have visited North Korea in the recent past. We will also continue to work closely with all of these agencies in seeking to assist the North Korean people in whatever way we can.