Food shipment for N. Korea ‘as soon as possible,’ U.S. says

The United States said Monday that it will start sending food to North Korea “as soon as possible,” as its delegation is set to meet officials at the World Food Program (WFP) in Rome later this week.

Robert King, the U.S. special envoy on the North‘s human rights, will “talk more about the modalities of this assistance” with WFP representatives, said Mark Toner, the State Department’s deputy spokesman.

“But I think, you know, we‘re trying to work out whatever the remaining logistical challenges are so we can get this food aid going,” he said at a press briefing, when asked about a time frame for what the U.S. says is “nutritional assistance” for North Koreans.

“I was told as soon as possible,” Toner added.

King had talks with North Korean diplomats in Beijing last week to discuss “administrative” details of Washington’s promise to ship 240,000 metric tons of food to the North, mainly in the form of biscuits, enhanced milk formula and other nutritional supplements for children, pregnant women and the elderly. In return, Pyongyang agreed to suspend some of its nuclear activities under the monitoring of the U.N. nuclear watchdog IAEA.

The two sides have stopped short of revealing specific information on the steps necessary to implement the deal.

Diplomatic sources here said the U.S. is expected to announce a timetable for the food provision shortly after consultations with the WFP. The North accepted the U.S. demand not to limit the number of outside workers, who can speak Korean, to monitor the distribution of food, the sources said.

The WFP will be in charge of delivering half of the planned U.S. food aid for the North, while American nongovernmental organizations, including Samaritan’s Purse and Mercy Corp., will handle the other half.

A source said IAEA inspectors may return to the North’s main nuclear facilities in Yongbyon by the middle of April, followed by the arrival of the first batch of food.

“The six-way talks (on the North’s nuclear program) can be resumed in the first half of this year if North Korea carries out pre-steps towards denuclearization,” the source said. (Yonhap News)