wfn.org | North Korea Famine Aid

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3477 notes).

Note 3475 by UMNS on March 10, 1997 at 16:18 Eastern (2691 characters).

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT:  Linda Bloom                         121(10-35-71B){3475}
          New York (212) 870-3803                   March 10, 1997

Relief organizations continue
to address North Korea famine

     NEW YORK (UMNS) -- As representatives from North and South
Korea met here March 5 to discuss peace for the first time since
the Korean war, relief organizations continued to address needs
created by North Korea's famine.
     A massive worldwide response is necessary to prevent imminent
starvation among North Korea's 23 million people, according to a
National Council of Churches (NCC) delegation that visited there
at the end of January. United Methodist Bishop Melvin Talbert, NCC
president, headed the delegation. (See UMNS Releases No. 51 & 52
{3405 & 3406}.)
     In February, an ecumenical group of missionaries meeting in
South Korea -- including United Methodists -- issued a brief
statement urging "our respective governments and the government of
the Republic of Korea to immediately support and facilitate
unconditional food aid to North Korea.
     "We further call upon our related churches and denominations
in Korea and abroad to actively promote and support food relief
for North Korea directly and to press their governments to
immediately support and facilitate such aid," the statement
concluded.  
     Both Church World Service (CWS), the NCC's relief agency, and
the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) have become
involved in famine aid.
     After collecting $410,932 in 1995-96 -- used to purchase
rice, beef, antibiotics, blankets and rehydration tablets for
North Korea -- CWS issued a new $500,000 appeal for famine
assistance in January.
     In early March, CWS, in conjunction with Action By Churches
Together (ACT), had sent another 665 metric tons of rice on its
way to North Korea, along with a shipment of barley seeds. As part
of a special "double cropping" experiment, the barley seeds will
be planted in March for harvest in June, after which the rice will
be planted.
     UMCOR already has sent two emergency shipments to North Korea
and is still accumulating donated boxes from individuals and
churches at the UMCOR Depot in Baldwin, La.
     Monetary donations can be made to UMCOR Advance No. 228435-0.
For information on how to prepare an emergency care package, call
(800) 814-8765. For instructions in Korean, call (800) 636-0905.
     Information on CWS donations is available by calling (800)
762-0968.
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