United Nations Radio

The World Food Programme today announced that it has reached an agreement with North Korea to expand its food assistance to more than five million people in the country.

The UN food agency said the accord, signed on Friday, is a significant breakthrough in its long-standing efforts to ensure that all those in need of food aid are able to receive it.

Following the signing of the agreement, a United States ship arrived on Sunday in the port of Nampo carrying close to 40,000 tons of wheat, the first installment of up to 500,000 metric tons of food aid which the United States has pledged to provide to North Korea.

Under the deal, WFP will be allowed to send nearly 50 more international relief workers to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to oversee and monitor the delivery of food aid.

For United Nations Radio, I'm Gerry Adams.

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