Latest U.S. grain shipment to N.K. departs

SEOUL, Oct. 18 (Yonhap) -- The latest food aid from the United States to North Korea, comprised of 25,000 tons of corn and other grains, has made its departure from the U.S. state of Virginia, a U.S. radio station reported Saturday.

The Mary-Ann Hudson, a U.S. cargo vessel carrying 20,000 tons of corn and 5,000
tons of beans, left from Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday and is scheduled to arrive
at North Korea's western port of Nampo on Nov. 18, Radio Free Asia reported,
citing a spokesperson of World Vision.
In June, the U.S. started shipping the first batch of some 500,000 tons of food
aid, which it pledged to deliver to the North over a year-long period, through
the World Food Programme (WFP).
Previous shipments were organized by the WFP, but the latest round is conducted
jointly by relief organization World Vision and four other relief agencies,
according to the spokesperson.
Since the late 1990s, when an estimated 1-3 million North Koreans starved to
death, the North has prioritized its agricultural sector while accepting foreign
aid to help feed its population of 23 million people.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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