Mr. Tomás Ojea Quintana, the UN’s independent special rapporteur on the human rights situation in North Korea, issued a warning on October 22 that North Korea is facing a worsening hunger crisis due to the new coronavirus (Chinese Communist Party virus) epidemic. Children, the elderly and the Prison detainees are especially likely to starve to death.
According to a report by the Voice of America, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea, Quintana said to reporters: “Even before the outbreak, more than 40% of North Koreans were precariously deprived of food, and many were malnourished and hindered their growth.”
After the outbreak of the new crown virus (CCP virus), North Korea implemented border blockade measures, and travel between cities and regions was restricted, making it difficult for people to obtain goods and jobs.
Quintana said: “These harsh measures taken by North Korea to block the influx of the epidemic include shooting and killing people who are trying to enter or leave the country.”
Quintana submitted a report to the UN General Assembly’s Human Rights Committee on October 22 that the prices of staple foods such as rice and corn have risen in some parts of North Korea, and there has been a shortage of essential medicines and medical supplies from mainland China.
Quintana wrote in his annual report: “The number of homeless people and street children is increasing. Those who return home from military service have no work, no income, no food, and hardly survive.” He said that North Koreans should not have to choose between fear of hunger and fear of the epidemic.
Quintana also said that he is increasingly worried about whether North Korean prison detainees can get enough food. Because in North Korea, detainees often depend on their families for food. North Korea has imposed travel restrictions and the economic situation is becoming increasingly difficult, and the families of detainees may not be able to help their relatives in custody.
The situation of North Korean political prisoners is now even more unclear, because the North Korean government denies the existence of forced labor camps. In Quintana’s view, forced labor camps are “the most serious human rights situation in North Korea.”
Mr. Tomás Ojea Quintana is a special rapporteur appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (headquartered in Geneva) on the human rights situation in North Korea. He is responsible for investigating and reporting on the human rights situation in the country and whether the government complies with its obligations under international human rights law. He submits reports to the Human Rights Council and the United Nations General Assembly every year.
Quintana is a human rights lawyer from Argentina with more than 20 years of experience in human rights affairs. He was appointed by the Human Rights Council in 2016. As Special Rapporteur, Mr. Quintana is independent of any government or organization and serves in his personal capacity.
The CCP’s aid is the lifeblood of North Korea’s economy, and the CCP and North Korea are socialist allies. As Sino-US relations have become increasingly tense, North Korea has increasingly criticized the United States for its security role in the Asia-Pacific region. US President Biden stated on the 21st that if Taiwan is attacked by Beijing, the US will provide defense. In response, North Korean officials on the 23rd condemned the United States for supporting Taiwan and accused the United States of “attempting to strangle two socialist countries.”
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