wfn.org | Lutheran Aid Headed to North Korea

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 6, 1998

LUTHERAN AID HEADED TO NORTH KOREA
98-09-047-AH

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Action by Churches Together (ACT) will provide
1,000 metric tons of barley seed to North Korea this month, in time for the
barley planting season. According to ACT, given favorable weather, these
seeds could yield more than 10,000 metric tons of barley.  Another shipment
of barley is en route to North Korea, sent by a coalition of U.S. agencies
including Lutheran World Relief (LWR).
     ACT will also provide fertilizers and pesticides, and an ACT shipment
of 250 metric tons of rice will reach North Korea in April.  ACT is a
worldwide network of churches, including the Lutheran World Federation,
meeting human need through coordinated emergency response.
     The source of the 630 metric tons of barley sent by LWR is Peterman
Seeds of Hawley, Minn.  Merlyn Peterman, a member of Hawley Lutheran
Church, arranged to provide two varieties of barley from farms in Minnesota
and North Dakota.  "Both varieties did well in North Korea last year --
better than Chinese varieties that are also available there," Peterman
said.  "Two varieties mean that not all the eggs are in one basket," he
said.
     LWR works in overseas development and relief on behalf of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod.
     ACT has issued an appeal for $4.5 million in response to acute need
in North Korea. In 1997 ACT delivered assistance totaling $2.6 million.
     In addition to bulk food aid and seeds, ACT plans to supply special
nutritional food for children and  essential medicines, vitamins and basic
medical supplies for clinics and hospitals.
     The international assistance to North Korea in 1997 helped avoid a
major disaster despite the country's significant food deficit, ACT reports.
The crisis in North Korea is linked to consecutive years of flooding,
severely reducing food production. Another factor, ACT says, is the
disappearance of the old "communist block" which formerly had a positive
effect on the country's economy.
     The prospect for 1998 is as grave as last year's.  The food aid
requirements for North Korea's population of 23 million are estimated by
the World Food Programme to be 1 million metric tons.  The "seriously
endangered public health sector" needs seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and
medical supplies, according to ACT.
     The assistance from ACT will be distributed through the North Korean
Public Distribution System, monitored by ACT-related staff.
     A shipment of 50,400 quilts from Lutheran World Relief has been
licensed by the U.S. government for use in North Korea.  The quilts will go
to children in feeding centers, orphanages and pediatric wards, LWR
reports.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html