US Agrees to Resume Food Aid to North Korea

美国恢复对北韩粮食援助

　



The United States has announced the resumption of food aid to North Korea after the two sides agreed on new measures to insure that the American-provided assistance reaches those in need. U.S. officials say the pending food aid is unrelated to negotiations on ending Pyongyang's nuclear program.

　

美国宣布恢复对北韩的粮食援助，此前双方同意采取新措施，确保美国提供的援助物资送给那些需要援助的人。美国有关官员说，还在商讨中的食品援助项目和终止北韩核项目的谈判没有关系。

With North Korea again facing the threat of widespread hunger, the United States has agreed to provide that country with 500,000 metric tons of food over a 12-month span beginning in June.

　

由于北韩再次受到大范围饥饿的威胁，美国同意从6月开始，在12个月内为北韩提供50万吨粮食。

The U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, announced the decision Friday. It said the two countries had agreed on terms for a "substantial improvement" in monitoring of food deliveries, to assure that they reach the intended recipients.

　

美国国际开发署星期五宣布了这一决定。国际开发署说，两国同意“大幅改善”监督食品发放的条件，以保证这些食品被送到应该收到援助的人手里。

Despite political differences with Pyongyang, the United States has been the biggest single supplier of food aid to North Korea since that country's famine in the mid-1990s.

　

虽然美国和北韩在政治上存在很多分歧，但是自从北韩上个世纪90年代中期发生饥荒以来，美国一直是为北韩提供食品援助最多的国家。

But no U.S. aid has gone there since 2005 because of U.S. concerns about possible diversion of food donations to the North Korean military and political elite.

　

但是，美国的援助在2005年以后就中断了，这是因为美国担心捐赠的食品可能被转给军界和政界高层人士。

At a news briefing, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said the monitoring agreement, the product of several months of negotiations, is the most stringent to date:

　

美国国务院发言人麦科马克在一个新闻简报会上说，经过几个月的磋商，双方达成了迄今为止最严格的食品发放监督协议。

"Because the needs in terms of the monitoring regime have been met, and that there was perhaps the most rigorous monitoring regime for distribution of food aid that we've seen in North Korea, we're able to provide 500,000 tons over the period of a year starting in June," said McCormack.

　

他说：“由于监督机制的要求已经达到，而且这可能是我们在北韩见到过的最严格的救援粮分发监督机制，所以我们将从6月起向北韩提供50万吨食品援助。”

"The aid will be distributed via the Emerson Trust, about one 100,000 tons, and about 400,000 tons via the World Food Program. Representatives of Emerson and the World Food Program will be able to travel to affected areas that are going to be receiving the food aid," he added.

　

“这些援助中的大约10万吨将通过埃默森人道信托基金发放，另外大约40万吨将由世界粮食计划署负责发放。这两个机构的代表将前往那些即将收到食品援助的地区。”

The Emerson Humanitarian Trust was set up by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute American food aid. McCormack said U.S. government officials will not be involved in on-the-ground relief activities in North Korea.

　

埃默森人道信托基金由美国农业部设立，负责发放美国的援助食品。麦科马克说，美国政府官员不会参与在北韩当地的救援行动。

The World Food Program, a United Nations Agency, said last month North Korea faces its worst food shortage in several years due to flooding and a poor harvest in 2007, with the situation complicated by this year's big run-up in food prices.

　

世界粮食计划署是联合国机构。该机构上个月说，由于2007年的洪水和农业歉收，北韩出现了几年来最严重的食品短缺，而今年的食品大幅涨价使形势变得更为复杂。

McCormack said he had no immediate estimate of the value of the U.S. donation. The mix of U.S. farm commodities and delivery schedules are to be worked out in bilateral meetings in the coming weeks.

　

麦科马克说，他目前并不知道美国援助的价值是多少。在未来几周之内，双方将召开会议，确定美国提供哪些农产品，以及运送时间表。

The spokesman reiterated that the U.S. aid pledge is need-based, and unrelated to six-party negotiations aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program.

　

麦科马克重申，美国承诺提供援助是因为有这种需要，这和为终止北韩核项目而举行的六方会谈无关。

The talks have stalled recently over Pyongyang's failure to produce a declaration of its nuclear activities and holdings, which was due at the end of 2007.

　

由于平壤没有在2007年底的最后期限之前公布其全部核项目活动及核材料，六方会谈最近陷于停顿。

McCormack said the chief U.S., South Korean and Japanese envoys to the talks will discuss the status of the nuclear talks in a three-way meeting in Washington Monday.

　

麦科马克说，美国、韩国和日本的首席谈判代表星期一将在华盛顿召开三方会议，商讨六方会谈的问题。