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July 7, 2008

Christian groups to deliver food to North Korea

by Ashly McGlone
Religion News Service

A partnership that includes several Christian organizations has reached an agreement with North Korea to deliver strictly monitored food aid to counter the communist country’s severe crop shortage.

The five non-governmental organizations forming the partnership — World Vision, Mercy Corps, Samaritan's Purse, Global Resource Services and Christian Friends of Korea — have a decade or more experience working in North Korea.

The food assistance comes after an assessment of areas devastated by flooding last August. Ken Isaacs, vice president of program and government relations at Samaritan’s Purse, said the partnership has been allowed “unprecedented access.”

Sixteen representatives from the five NGOs will be living in North Korea to monitor food distribution.

The aid is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, and is part of a larger agreement expected to reach more than 5 million people.

In late June the White House moved to take North Korea off its list of state sponsors of terrorism after Pyongyang delivered an outline of its nuclear programs.

David Snider, press director for USAID, said the agreement was not linked to the White House move.