UN Says North Korea Food Crisis Worsening
北韩正面临十年来最严重食品短缺

　 
The U.N. World Food Program says North Korea is facing its worst food shortage in nearly a decade. The agency says in the next year North Korea needs more than $500 million for food aid or it will risk famine.

联合国世界粮食计划署表示，北韩面临将近10年来最严重的食品短缺。世界粮食计划署表示，明年北韩需要5亿多美元的食品援助，否则就面临饥荒。

The World Food Program says bad weather, high food prices and fewer donations from neighbors have dangerously reduced North Korea's food supplies.

世界粮食计划署表示，由于天气恶劣，食品价格上涨，以及邻国的援助减少，北韩的粮食供应减少到危险的水平。

In the past year North Korean farms suffered devastating floods and grain prices increased four times.

去年北韩的农场遭受到洪水的严重破坏，谷物价格增长了3倍。

Also, South Korea has also not given as much aid to the North this year because relations between the two governments have chilled.

另外，韩国今年提供的粮食援助不像以往一样多，因为双方政府关系转为冷淡。

The WFP says this year North Korea will be more than 1.5 million tons short of the food it needs.

世界粮食计划署表示，今年北韩将短缺150多万吨粮食。

Tony Banbury, the WFP's regional director for Asia, just finished a weeklong tour of North Korea, where he says malnourishment is widespread.

世界粮食计划署东亚地区负责人托尼.班伯里刚刚结束了的一周之行。他说，他在那里看到营养不良的现象普遍存在。

"Now more than half of the households in the country are surviving on just two meals a day at best," said Banbury. "And, there is a significantly increased reliance for foraging for wild foods as a coping mechanism."

班伯里说：“北韩现在有一半以上的家庭每天最多就吃两顿饭。越来越多的人显著依赖采集野物充饥。”

Banbury says the food crisis is probably the worst since the late 1990s when an estimated million North Koreans died of hunger.

班伯里说，北韩目前的粮食危机大概是1990年代末期以来最严重的。当时估计有50万人饿死。

He says food exports from China, a traditional supplier, dropped by half in the past few years.

他说，传统上向北韩出口粮食的中国在过去的几年里把对北韩的出口减少了一半。

China limited food exports to help battle rising inflation at home and ensure its own supply.

中国限制食物出口的作法，是为了帮助对抗本国的通货膨胀，保障本国的粮食供应。

Anthea Webb, the WFP's China director, says the agency is urging Chinese officials to allow the export of 50,000 tons for food to North Korea and Burma.

世界粮食计划的中国部主任维布女士说，世界粮食计划敦促中国官员准许向北韩和缅甸出口5万吨粮食。

"We understand the priority is to take care of the Chinese population first. But, a modest request," said Webb. "We are hoping, very hopeful, for a positive answer. And, it is clear that the need is more urgent than ever now."

她说：“我们了解照顾中国人口是头等大事。但是作为一个适度的请求，我们希望，非常希望，能够得到一个肯定的答复。而且很明显，北韩的需要现在比过去更急迫。”

The WFP says it needs $503 million to maintain adequate operations in North Korea until November 2009 and is asking donors for $60 million of it now.

世界粮食计划说，需要5亿零3百万美元来维持北韩的粮食供应到2009年11月，目前为此需要6000万美元。

The food is mainly for children, the elderly, and mothers.

The North Korean government has in the past been suspected of diverting food aid to its powerful military.

The WFP says that is no longer a concern as Pyongyang in June granted it unprecedented oversight of aid operations.

The WFP feeds more people in North Korea than in any other country. More than six million North Koreans, one quarter of the population, depend on the donations.

The U.S. government is one of the biggest donors and has pledged 400,000 tons of food to help with the crisis.

美国政府是最大的捐助国之一，并且为协助解除这项危机承诺捐助40万吨粮食。