Hungry Koreans

[AtlantaWalter]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Food runs out for 6 million North Koreans
By Joe McDonald, AP Writer, in Beijing
10 February 2004

The UN's food agency made an emergency appeal for aid for North Korea yesterday, saying that its supplies were nearly exhausted and it would have to stop sending food to almost all the 6.5 million people it feeds.

Masood Hyder, a representative from the World Food Programme (WFP), said the agency would be able to feed 100,000 people, mostly women and children, over the next two months. "A food crisis is on us at the wrong time," he said. The agency is trying to feed almost a third of the North's 23 million people.

Countries including the United States and Russia have pledged thousands of tons of grain and other food since the WFP warned late last year that its supplies were running low. Butshipments will not start arriving until late March.

"We are trying all emergency measures ... including asking whether the [North Korean] government itself can give us a short-term loan," said Mr Hyder. It is not clear how much food the secretive Stalinist dictatorship has in its stockpiles.

There is mounting tension over the North's nuclear programme. Diplomats from the US, North and South Korea, China, Japan and Russia will meet in two weeks in Beijing for their second round of talks. The US is sending 38,000 tons of grain. Although foreign donors are making a "valiant effort" to separate politics from aid decisions, international tension "certainly affects humanitarian assistance", Mr Hyder said.

He said that he did not expect mass fatalities, but that malnutrition would surge among North Koreans whose daily rations of about 500g of food was the bare minimum. He could not confirm reports that North Koreans were reduced to eating bark.

I'm thinking that surely the civilian population far outnumbers the someodd 1,000,000 man army that Korea possesses, so when will the populace get sick and tired of being on the short end of the stick while their country spends billions on defense but relys on the outside world to feed its' people. Why do they put up with such foolishness? The purpose of government is to see to the needs of its' citizens and I think that just maybe feeding them comes before continuing to build up military forces.

 

[nbdysfu]

bread riots anyone?

 

[jon_forward]

I am quite sure that if the short , funny looking , Lil man with the wierd hair style would give up the nukes that all of the people besides him will be able to have food to eat....

 

[eric]

I love the little commie bastards, I really do !

(anyone remember which movie that was from ?)

 

[jon_forward]

was it MASH???

 

[eric]

NO !

Another hint :

"You have born to kill on your helmet and a peacesign on your jacket, what is that some kind of sick joke ?"

 

[jon_forward]

no clue!!!

 

[eric]

Full Metal Jacket !!!!

 

[tim_duncan2000]

I knew that one. That was a good movie.

 

[evancity2]

I think it is a whole big mess and the NK gov. does not care about its people that much. The same thing happened to Russia when they forgot about their environment and their people and looked for military power and recorses to enrichen their econimy. Only they didn't notice that it was Communism that was weakening their economy. This is an exaple of a more dramatic case, but it shows the same thing. Also, you guys, this is a political chat room, not a movie disscusion. Lets make the world better.

 

[montyfowler]

The Bush administration is pursuing a briliant course of diplomatic intelligence gathering. Rather than have covert ops people slinking around Pyong Yang, they are sending mid-level diplomats to sit across the table from the NK's and ask them questions about their nuclear program.

The NK's entire game hinges on the credible threat to the West that they have a deployable nuclear warhead and a delivery system that can reach the shores of the US or the capital cities of our allies.

They know that we won't negotiate in good faith unil we are absolutely convinced that they have functional nukes. In order to convince us, they have to show us concrete proof. Once we have the concrete proof, it's game over.

The Bush doctrine of pre-emption will cause the NK's to make a fateful decision. I imagine after the March summit in Beijing, the US will have the proof of NK's nuke program. Rather than a threat delivered in private to the NK ambassador, I see Colin Powell going to the UN security council, delivering a very convincing presentation of NK's nuke program, and telling the UN that NK must disarm within a specific timeframe or face forced disarmament via the US military.

This message will be delivered with the entire pacific fleet surrounding the Korean peninsula. Kim Jong Il will have to make a very important decision.

And if we attack NK, we will do it with absolutely overwhelming force via air and sea. The only ground action will be to quadruple the force presence on the 38th parallel to protect SK from an overwhelming wave of refuges and defecting soldiers.

I predict this will all happen during the Summer of 2004. (And no, the timing will have nothing to do with US election.) This President doesn't Wag the Dog.

 

[Johnney]

has anyone served in korea? more to the point, on the DMZ? something funny is that when christmas time comes around, the NK's send everyone cards. basic lay down your arms type

 

[evancity2]

Yer piont....

 

[Johnney]

it was an observation dillrod

 

[waltky]

Striped beans to feed the hungry...

‘Super beans’ raise hopes in hunger-prone parts of Africa
3 Dec.`17 — Richard Opio dipped a dirt-stained hand into the pinkish beans, marveling at the dramatic changes they’ve made for his family. They used to harvest two sacks of normal beans; now they take in six.

The so-called “super bean,” a fast-maturing, high-yield variety, is being promoted by Uganda’s government and agriculture experts amid efforts to feed hunger-prone parts of Africa. It’s also a step toward the next goal: the “super, super bean” that researchers hope can be created. The beans are produced by conventional genetic selection, not the contentious genetic modification technologies. The beans that Opio now tends are thrilling farmers in this impoverished part of northern Uganda that also strains under the recent arrival of more than 1 million refugees from its war-torn neighbor, South Sudan. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture says the beans have been bred by conventional means to resist the drought conditions that can lead to starvation as arable land disappears.

The group operates one of just two bean “gene banks” in Africa, which is expected to be hit hardest by climate change even though the continent produces less than 4 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, according to the U.N. Development Program. One “gene bank” is on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, where the beans that Opio now farms were bred. The other is in Malawi in southern Africa. Beans kept at the two banks are sent to partners in 30 countries across the continent to be developed further so they can cope with local conditions. The Uganda bank stores around 4,000 types of beans, including some sourced from neighboring Rwanda before its 1994 genocide killed around 800,000 people and wiped out many of the country’s bean varieties. “The beans have to go through certain rigorous tests before they can be released to the general public, to make sure they do actually address all the issues well and perform well in different climatic conditions,” said Stanley Nkalubo, a legumes research scientist with Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organization.

The red-striped bean that 35-year-old Opio now harvests is called NABE15, and it has proved so popular that the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization recently contracted a large commercial producer to supply 21 tons for distribution to South Sudanese refugees as planting materials. Aid workers hope the beans will encourage the refugees to grow their own food rather than rely on handouts, which in some cases have been cut because of funding shortages. “It is important that other sources of food be found to complement the food assistance,” said Beatrice Okello, senior program manager with FAO in Uganda, saying that just 50 kilograms of planting seeds are expected to yield of up to 2,000 kilograms of beans. Experts say the “super” beans are valuable because they cook quickly and tolerate most diseases and pests. “It is also a shiny red color, which local consumers like, and it’s sweeter,” said Dr. Robin Buruchara, director of the Pan-African Bean Research Alliance. On a recent morning, contractor Felix Otim watched as colleagues packed planting materials into FAO-branded bags destined for a nearby refugee camp. The beans will save many lives, he said. Instead of using 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of beans for lunch, planting it will multiply the benefit several times over.

Even the “super” beans aren’t perfect, but agricultural workers are looking to genetic tools for future solutions. “It’s very hard to breed any single bean variety with the very best of traits — early maturing, drought-tolerant, pest-tolerant, high micronutrients. That would be the super, super bean,” said Debisi Araba, the African head of the Center for Tropical Agriculture. “But that’s what we are working toward. There are genetic editing tools available now that give scientists the ability to map out these genetic varieties and potentially we start looking at the possibility of breeding these super, super crops.” For now, the “super” beans are finding a following in northern Uganda. After a neighbor noticed that Opio’s plants were performing well, he bought a sample. Now the beans are being traded across the border in turbulent South Sudan, where famine is once again a threat. “So even though the target is farmer groups and organizations in Uganda, the beneficiaries are beyond the borders of Uganda,” Araba said.

'Super beans' raise hopes in hunger-prone parts of Africa

 

[Vastator]

Striped beans to feed the hungry...

‘Super beans’ raise hopes in hunger-prone parts of Africa
3 Dec.`17 — Richard Opio dipped a dirt-stained hand into the pinkish beans, marveling at the dramatic changes they’ve made for his family. They used to harvest two sacks of normal beans; now they take in six.

The so-called “super bean,” a fast-maturing, high-yield variety, is being promoted by Uganda’s government and agriculture experts amid efforts to feed hunger-prone parts of Africa. It’s also a step toward the next goal: the “super, super bean” that researchers hope can be created. The beans are produced by conventional genetic selection, not the contentious genetic modification technologies. The beans that Opio now tends are thrilling farmers in this impoverished part of northern Uganda that also strains under the recent arrival of more than 1 million refugees from its war-torn neighbor, South Sudan. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture says the beans have been bred by conventional means to resist the drought conditions that can lead to starvation as arable land disappears.

The group operates one of just two bean “gene banks” in Africa, which is expected to be hit hardest by climate change even though the continent produces less than 4 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, according to the U.N. Development Program. One “gene bank” is on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, where the beans that Opio now farms were bred. The other is in Malawi in southern Africa. Beans kept at the two banks are sent to partners in 30 countries across the continent to be developed further so they can cope with local conditions. The Uganda bank stores around 4,000 types of beans, including some sourced from neighboring Rwanda before its 1994 genocide killed around 800,000 people and wiped out many of the country’s bean varieties. “The beans have to go through certain rigorous tests before they can be released to the general public, to make sure they do actually address all the issues well and perform well in different climatic conditions,” said Stanley Nkalubo, a legumes research scientist with Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organization.

​

The red-striped bean that 35-year-old Opio now harvests is called NABE15, and it has proved so popular that the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization recently contracted a large commercial producer to supply 21 tons for distribution to South Sudanese refugees as planting materials. Aid workers hope the beans will encourage the refugees to grow their own food rather than rely on handouts, which in some cases have been cut because of funding shortages. “It is important that other sources of food be found to complement the food assistance,” said Beatrice Okello, senior program manager with FAO in Uganda, saying that just 50 kilograms of planting seeds are expected to yield of up to 2,000 kilograms of beans. Experts say the “super” beans are valuable because they cook quickly and tolerate most diseases and pests. “It is also a shiny red color, which local consumers like, and it’s sweeter,” said Dr. Robin Buruchara, director of the Pan-African Bean Research Alliance. On a recent morning, contractor Felix Otim watched as colleagues packed planting materials into FAO-branded bags destined for a nearby refugee camp. The beans will save many lives, he said. Instead of using 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of beans for lunch, planting it will multiply the benefit several times over.

Even the “super” beans aren’t perfect, but agricultural workers are looking to genetic tools for future solutions. “It’s very hard to breed any single bean variety with the very best of traits — early maturing, drought-tolerant, pest-tolerant, high micronutrients. That would be the super, super bean,” said Debisi Araba, the African head of the Center for Tropical Agriculture. “But that’s what we are working toward. There are genetic editing tools available now that give scientists the ability to map out these genetic varieties and potentially we start looking at the possibility of breeding these super, super crops.” For now, the “super” beans are finding a following in northern Uganda. After a neighbor noticed that Opio’s plants were performing well, he bought a sample. Now the beans are being traded across the border in turbulent South Sudan, where famine is once again a threat. “So even though the target is farmer groups and organizations in Uganda, the beneficiaries are beyond the borders of Uganda,” Araba said.

'Super beans' raise hopes in hunger-prone parts of Africa

The strongest case for reintroducing Agent Orange, I've heard to date...

 

[HenryBHough]

Starve 'em and, in time, they'll eat Fatboy but then all die from clogged arteries.

Now, libbie chillins, let's hear your whines of alarm over that delightful concept!