LegiStorm

Summary:

Between 1995 and 2008, the United States provided North Korea with over $1.3 billion in assistance: slightly more than 50% for food aid and about 40% for energy assistance. Since early 2009, the United States has provided virtually no aid to North Korea, though episodically there have been discussions about resuming large-scale food aid. Additionally, the Obama Administration officials have said that they would be willing to consider other types of aid if North Korea takes steps indicating that it will dismantle its nuclear program, a prospect that most analysts view as increasingly remote. As of March 2014, barring an unexpected breakthrough, there appears little likelihood the Obama Administration will provide large-scale assistance of any type to North Korea in the near future. Members of Congress have a number of tools they could use to influence the development and implementation of aid programs with North Korea. Food Aid. Large swathes of North Koreas population have suffered from chronic malnutrition since the mid-1990s. Food aidlargely from China, South Korea, and the United Stateshas been essential in filling the gap between North Koreas supply and demand, though since 2009 donations from all countries except China have dwindled to a minimal amount. Observers and activists attribute the North Koreas malnutrition and occasional starvation problems to food shortageswhich at times have been massiveand more fundamentally to the unequal distribution of food caused in large measure by the North Korean governments deliberate decisions and policies. In 2013, an improved harvest appeared to reduce North Koreas chronic grain shortfall to some of the lowest levels since the 1990s. Yet outside food groups reported continued malnutrition among vulnerable sectors of the population, especially children. In 2014, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry on North Koreas human rights conditions found that the North Korean governments act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation amounted to crimes against humanity. Providing food to North Korea poses a number of dilemmas. Pyongyang has resisted reforms that would allow the equitable distribution of food and help pay for food imports. The North Korean government restricts the ability of donors to operate in the country. Additionally, multiple sources have asserted that some of the food assistance is routinely diverted for resale in private markets or other uses. However, it is likely that food aid has helped feed millions of North Koreans, at times possibly staving off a repeat of the famine conditions that existed in North Korea in the mid-late 1990s, when 5%-10% of the population died. South Korean President Park Geun-hyes government has indicated that it would be willing to offer North Korea food aid as part of her plan to foster a new era in inter-Korean relations. In 2013, the South Korean government donated around $12 million to United Nations humanitarian organizations that supply humanitarian aid, including some food, in North Korea. Energy Assistance. Between 1995 and 2009, the United States provided around $600 million in energy assistance to North Korea. The aid was given over two time periods1995-2003 and 2007-2009in exchange for North Korea freezing its plutonium-related nuclear facilities. In 2008 and 2009, North Korea also took steps to disable these facilities. However, no additional energy assistance has been provided since 2009, when Pyongyang withdrew from the Six-Party Talksinvolving North Korea, the United States, China, Japan, and Russiaover North Koreas nuclear program. The move followed condemnation and sanctions by the U.N. Security Council for North Koreas April 2009 launch of a suspected long-range missile and May 2009 test of a nuclear device. Denuclearization Assistance. In 2007 and 2008, the United States gave technical assistance to North Koreas nuclear disablement process. In 2008, Congress took steps to legally enable the President to give expanded assistance for this purpose. However, following North Koreas actions in the spring of 2009, Congress rejected the Obama Administrations requests for supplemental funds to use in case of a return to denuclearization. Since then, Congress has not approved and the administration has not requested any funds for denuclearization since North Korea has not agreed to return to the nuclear disarmament process.