Although much of the media surrounding North Korea is focused on Kim Jong-Un, there is a dire need to recognize the appalling conditions that ordinary North Koreans face. Indeed, days before the summit between Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump in Vietnam, news surfaced that North Korea was facing a food shortage. For North Koreans, this food shortage represents a considerable issue, reminiscent of an extended famine called the ‘Arduous March’ that took place in the 1990s. Earlier this year, just before the summit in Vietnam, the North Korean government released a memo stating that North Korea was short 1.4 million tons of food in regards to their main crops of rice, wheat, potatoes, and soybeans. In 2018, the food production was 4.95 million tons, which was down 503 000 tons from 2017. Although the government has noted that they will import 200 000 tons and produce around 400 000 tons, the decreased production of food means that daily rations are cut from 500 grams to 300 grams. The UN World Food Programme notes that already 11 million people in the country of 25 million are undernourished, which is equal to about 40% of the population. Additionally, one in five children are stunted, which means that they are at a low height for their age. The World Food Programme explains that even minor disasters can have a significant effect on the production of food; indeed, in 2018, a heat wave in provinces crucial for agricultural production and a typhoon were important factors in the food shortage. The current situation in North Korea is reminiscent of a famine that struck North Korea in the 1990s. Called the ‘Arduous March’, and lasting from the mid-to-late 90s, it is estimated that up to a million people died by the end of the famine. Similarly to the current state in North Korea, natural disasters were an important factor in the famine. For a period of two years starting in 1995, North Korea was struck by floods and above average temperatures with low amounts of rainfall. These fluctuations caused shortages in the amount of food available, and although the international community and NGOs provided aid and food, it was discovered that the North Korean government had thwarted the supplies from civilians. This discovery led to the withdrawal of many NGOs from North Korea. Factors like political corruption meant that civilians without any political connections, who could only access food through the public distribution system, were the most affected. Mina Yoon, whose childhood overlapped with the ‘Arduous March’, describes how malnutrition is so common in North Korea that it is not considered a problem as long as one is able to walk. Yoon explains that as her younger sister suffered from critical malnutrition, even losing her eyesight at one point, Yoon herself never felt that she was in bad health. The current food shortage poses a serious risk to North Koreans, as proven through the consequences of the ‘Arduous March’. Food shortages, through a variety of natural and political reasons, most heavily affect civilians. Therefore, the famine - which resulted in the loss of one millions lives - should not be repeated, and conditions like malnutrition should not be a norm. However, this situation is the reality of 40% of North Koreans, and it is the reality that so many try to flee. Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5, Source 6, Source 7
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