Topic : Caritas Coreana to Allot US$ 280,000 for NK Relief (First Half of 2001) Writer : CBCK Inquiry : 2021 Date : 2002-04-08 13:40:10   Caritas Coreana to Allot US$ 280,000 for NK Relief         On June 28, 2001, Caritas Coreana of the CBCK (President: Most Rev. Gabriel Chang) decided overseas aid for the first half of the year 2001.    The standing committee of Caritas Coreana decided to give US$ 280,000 to North Korea and US$ 390,000 to foreign countries including Rwanda, Tanzania, India and Ethiopia.    Caritas Coreana increased US$ 80,000 for North Korea relief aid this year to provide food and medicines mainly for children and the elderly.    "Caritas Internationalis appealed US$ 3,260,000 for NK relief aid to the international communities but only US$ 30,000 or 0.92 percent of target sum came in so far." said an official of Caritas Coreana.    For the domestic help, Caritas Coreana allotted 43,000,000 won (US$ 33,076) for six organizations including the Catholic Blind Missions of Korea.    According to South Korea's central bank, North Korea will live on reduced food rations again this year due to a sharp fall in grain production in 2000 while country's demand for grains would reach 6.13 million tons this year.    "Rice production in 2000 was estimated to 1.42 million tons, down 12.6 percent from a year ago, and cereals to 3.59 million tons, down 15 percent." the bank said.    According to some estimates, more than one million people have died from food shortages, and associated illness since 1994 when a series of natural disasters and chronic mismanagement started causing widespread famine.    According to the World Food Programme, the North's 22 million population is now surviving on 200 grams, a fistful of rice or cereal, each day.