N. Korea needs US$346 million in food aid for 2009: WFP

SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korea needs urgent food aid worth US$346 million
to help millions of people get through the new year, the World Food Program said
on Wednesday in an appeal for worldwide donations.
The U.N. food agency said in a report that the requested donation is necessary to
help feed 5.6 million North Koreans, nearly a quarter of the country's
population, who need outside assistance next year.
The agency urged countries to "step up and allocate to urgent hunger needs a
fraction of what is proposed for financial rescue packages to address the global
economic downturn."
There are about 100 million people globally in need of roughly US$5.2 billion
worth of food assistance for the new year, it forecast.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)