Addressing starvation should be priority, not nuclear mission
In recent times, North Korea has been the most discussed topic among the newsmakers, more because of their new premier and its nuclear ambitions than improved economic status of its citizens. What has got swept under the carpet in the hype of nuclear testing and America's vindictive reprisal has been the shamefully pathetic state of Korea's social safety net. If the emergence of new leadership of Kim Jong-Un in 2012 and his prospect of economic liberalisation brought hope to the country, it has not translated into any visible inclusive growth measures. Shockingly, while Kim is seemingly busy with his lavish lifestyle and brinkmanship over nuclear tests, citizens are in the grasp of killing starvation because of severe food shortages.
Despite facing famines in past, the country has still not paid heed to social inclusion and social safety programs. The country had gone through an infamous famine (titled Arduous March) during 1994 to 1998 that reportedly took close to 3.5 million lives, but no potent policies were ever drafted to prevent its reoccurrence. The nation continued to ignore warnings from several global organisations. As per the FAO and the World Food Program, the country does not produce enough food to feed its 24 million people. A 2011 Crop Assessment Report highlighted that “3 million people would need outside food help in 2012.” Consequently, the World Food Program made a global appeal for $218 million in emergency food in 2011 but somehow it received only $85 million. Perhaps nothing could be as worrying as the latest reports of cannibalism. The Telegraph reported in May 2011 that defectors had given accounts of "executions of people who had either eaten or sold human flesh." Undercover reporters of Asia Press revealed in a report this week how in Chongdan county, a man "boiled his own child, ate his flesh and was arrested.” Another dug up his grandchild's corpse and ate it. News reports also confirm this week that another man was summarily executed after killing and eating his two children.
Surprisingly, the country has completely ignored (intentionally?) the issues of cannibalism and starvation and has termed these reports to be fabricated. North Korea has been overly vocal about US sanctions over its nuclear missile tests and Kim has vowed to take “substantial and high profile important state measures” to strike back against those sanctions. But not even an iota of that enthusiasm has been displayed for removing poverty and hunger!
In recent times, North Korea has been the most discussed topic among the newsmakers, more because of their new premier and its nuclear ambitions than improved economic status of its citizens. What has got swept under the carpet in the hype of nuclear testing and America's vindictive reprisal has been the shamefully pathetic state of Korea's social safety net. If the emergence of new leadership of Kim Jong-Un in 2012 and his prospect of economic liberalisation brought hope to the country, it has not translated into any visible inclusive growth measures. Shockingly, while Kim is seemingly busy with his lavish lifestyle and brinkmanship over nuclear tests, citizens are in the grasp of killing starvation because of severe food shortages.
Despite facing famines in past, the country has still not paid heed to social inclusion and social safety programs. The country had gone through an infamous famine (titled Arduous March) during 1994 to 1998 that reportedly took close to 3.5 million lives, but no potent policies were ever drafted to prevent its reoccurrence. The nation continued to ignore warnings from several global organisations. As per the FAO and the World Food Program, the country does not produce enough food to feed its 24 million people. A 2011 Crop Assessment Report highlighted that “3 million people would need outside food help in 2012.” Consequently, the World Food Program made a global appeal for $218 million in emergency food in 2011 but somehow it received only $85 million. Perhaps nothing could be as worrying as the latest reports of cannibalism. The Telegraph reported in May 2011 that defectors had given accounts of "executions of people who had either eaten or sold human flesh." Undercover reporters of Asia Press revealed in a report this week how in Chongdan county, a man "boiled his own child, ate his flesh and was arrested.” Another dug up his grandchild's corpse and ate it. News reports also confirm this week that another man was summarily executed after killing and eating his two children.
Surprisingly, the country has completely ignored (intentionally?) the issues of cannibalism and starvation and has termed these reports to be fabricated. North Korea has been overly vocal about US sanctions over its nuclear missile tests and Kim has vowed to take “substantial and high profile important state measures” to strike back against those sanctions. But not even an iota of that enthusiasm has been displayed for removing poverty and hunger!
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