The Christian Post – A faith-based relief organization is determined to keep contact with North Korea despite the communist nation’s demand that the United Nation World Food Program terminate food aid.

Caritas, a Catholic relief, development and social service organization, said to AsiaNews on Sept. 23 that it will continue correspondent with North Korea despite the fact the nation has called on foreign non-government organizations (NGO’s) and the United Nation World Food Program to end aid and leave the country by the end of this year.

“After these statements from the Pyongyang leadership I think it is very important to keep contacts alive,” said Kathy Zellweger, the director of International Cooperation of Caritas Hong Kong.

“The important thing,” Zellweger noted, “is to remain in daily contact. A way to move ahead will be found.”

The North Korean deputy of foreign affairs minister, Choe Su Hon, had earlier announced that the United Nations and all foreign NGO’s should stop food aid supplies and leave the country. Hon declares that the food situation in North Korea has “improved” and “the attitude of the United States causes offence,” according to AsiaNews. AsiaNews also noted that the United States has been accused of politicizing the aid by connecting it to human rights agenda.

Zellweger, who heads Caritas’ North Korea program, could not comment on North Korea’s claim of “improved” conditions, saying to Asianews that, “exact information about international food supplies is not known and so it is very difficult to establish how much foreign aid the North Koreans actually need.”

In addition, North Korea also declared that aid should be distributed by North Korean staff instead of foreign aid workers and wants the WFP to focus now on long-term food security and development rather than emergency relief as in the past. This statement has resulted in controversy over the position of foreign humanitarian agencies in North Korea , AsiaNews reported.

“It’s not possible for us to hand over our operations to national staff. We remain hopeful the decision will change once they realise the donors won’t fund without an international presence,” said Mr O’Rourke, country manager for Irish NGO Concern told AsiaNews…[Go To Full Story]