Poverty in North Korea

• One of the last communist countries in the world• Originally there was a food distribution system to give grains like

rice and wheat to people:

Status Grams of grains

Hard laborer 900 g

Average person 700g

Collage and high school student 600g

Younger students 300-400g

Retirees 300g

•By late 1990s food distribution system failed•Since then most people have to find themselves food especially those in rural areas

• 2 in 3 mothers are malnourished• 7% of children severely malnourished • 37% of children are chronically malnourished• 23.4% of children are underweight• 2011 official salary rate was equivalent to 2 USD per month• Actual salary rate is $15 US per month due to black market sales• A lot of aid mainly comes from China, the world food program and to some extent UNICEF• One quarter of women aged 15-49 are under nourished

http://www.wfp.org/countries/Korea--Democratic-People-s-Republic--DPRK-/Media/The-Face-of-Hunger-in-DPR-Korea

• A quarter of women in North Korea aged 15-49 are under nourished•Some 6 million people don’t have enough to eat•Much of the poverty is due to political and economic isolation and frequent natural disasters•Some organizations help but not enough is being done•North Korean government doesn’t allow all aid to go through•Funding is needed to help those who cant help themselves

china

North Korea

http://james-a-watkins.hubpages.com/hub/The-Korean-War

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/crisis-centre/crisis/north-korea-hunger

http://www.economist.com/node/18682803

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/GA15Dg01.html

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/28/1067233170542.html?from=storyrhs

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/korea_40615.html

http://www.prb.org/Articles/2010/northkorea-population.aspx

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/korea.html