Story number 1 for 15 Jan 2001

Headlining today’s news, North Koreans face another year of severe food shortages after dry weather harmed maize and paddy production. World Relief’s Vice President of International Ministries Arnie Bergstrom says this situation isn’t good in this country closed to the Gospel. “With this concern over the shortage of the harvest North Korea will be in a famine situation within the next few weeks and months. When the harvest has not been successful we know that’s going to have a significant impact on the nation, with a large number of people facing starvation.” World Relief will be helping. Bergstrom says, as Christians, they have an obligation. “It’s an opportunity for us to demonstrate, in very practical terms, the Good New of the Gospel – through the cup of cold water, through the food that is given. But, then hopefully there will be in the long run the opportunity to share explicitly the Good News of the Gospel.” Since 1995, two million North Koreas have died as a result of famine.