UNICEF: 60,000 Children in North Korea Suffer from 'Severe Hunger'

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported that around 60,000 children in North Korea are at risk of severe hunger, exacerbated by international sanctions. According to UNICEF, a total of 200,000 North Korean children suffer from acute malnutrition, with the situation of 60,000 of them potentially being fatal. Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF's emergency programs director, stated on Tuesday, January 30, that 'we expect that this year 60,000 children will suffer from severe malnutrition, the type that can potentially lead to death, specifically protein and calorie malnutrition.' He added, 'therefore, a concerning trend is underway, and no improvement in conditions is observed.' Global powers have imposed increasing sanctions on North Korea due to its missile and nuclear programs, and in this context, last week the United States announced new sanctions against 9 institutions, 16 individuals, and 6 North Korean ships accused of aiding Pyongyang's weapons programs. Omar Abdi, UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director, noted on Tuesday that humanitarian aid and operations are exempt from sanctions according to UN Security Council resolutions. However, he added that 'in practice, banks and companies supplying goods are very cautious and do not want to be accused of violating sanctions later.' Abdi further stated, 'this makes it harder for us to procure goods, causing delays, especially in transferring money to the country and shipping goods to North Korea. Many shipping lines do not operate in that region.' The Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF also mentioned that fuel sanctions have become stricter, making fuel both scarcer and more expensive. Christophe Boulirac, a UNICEF spokesperson, announced that of the 60,000 children who suffered from severe malnutrition last year in North Korea, 39,000 received therapeutic feeding. He addressed financial aid providers for North Korea, stating that 'diarrhea related to sanitation deficiencies and acute malnutrition remains the leading cause of child mortality.' He noted that UNICEF is seeking $16.5 million in funding this year for food, health, and water for North Korea, but faces difficulties due to 'operational challenges' stemming from political tensions and 'unintended consequences' of sanctions. UNICEF is one of the few relief organizations with access to the isolated country of North Korea. North Korea faced a famine in the mid-1990s that resulted in the deaths of approximately three million people.