Aachen (Fides Service ) - To help children in North Korea threatened by starvation, children members of Missionary Childhood in Germany have offered 20,000 Euro to buy food supplies.
For many years the German branch of Missionary Childhood has encouraged its children to sustain with prayer and offerings the work of Caritas Hong Kong , the first humanitarian organisation allowed to visit North Korea to bring relief to hunger stricken people. Recently Ms Käthi Zellweger, head of Caritas Hong Kong international cooperation office, made an appeal for funds to ward off the threat of another dramatic food shortage in North Korea. After years of experience in north Korea Caritas Hong Kong is able to get food to all the regions where people are in need even the most remote and to provide food and medicines for sick and orphaned children in orphanages.
In North Korea numerous pregnant mothers, elderly people and children face the threat of another serious food shortage and the consequences of malnutrition. Millions are in danger.
Some observers say that delays in distribution of food aid to North Korea by the United Nations is used as a means to pressure the government of this Asian country on the delicate question of nuclear programmes.
The national Pontifical Mission Societies office in Germany has launched a nation wide appeal for funds to support the distribution of food to hungry children in North Korea. (MS) (Agenzia Fides, 20/2/2004 - 23 righe, 271 parole)