Wednesday, April 12, 2006

North Korean manipulation of humanitarian assistance

“The worst case of the manipulation of humanitarian assistance in the world today is …. a huge open prison that is called North Korea.

"[North Korean refugees] say that food aid meant for famine victims is not getting to those who need it but is going to citizens deemed to be loyal to Kim Jong-il's regime.

“Refugee testimonies suggest that three million people died from starvation and related illnesses in 1995-1998 alone, and many continue to die today.

“It is terrible to think that North Koreans are starving to death while North Korea is the second largest recipient of food aid after Afghanistan.”

[From the book “Condemned to Repeat? The Paradox of Humanitarian Action”, written by Fiona Terry, Director of Research at Doctors Without Borders /Médecins Sans Frontières]

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