NEW YORK, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Human Rights Watch says ending food aid to North Korea in retaliation for that country's claims of a nuclear test would further harm the country's people.
The agency, which has headquarters in New York, said outside food aid has helped feed up to one-third of the people of North Korea since the 1990s.
Human Rights Watch's Sophie Richardson said, "North Korea's nuclear weapons program can have devastating security implications in the region but suspending food aid could be lethal for ordinary North Koreans."
The warning comes after South Korea reportedly said it would cut off emergency aid for the victims of this summer's flooding in North Korea.
Human Rights Watch said demographic experts estimate about 1 million North Koreans died in the 1990s because of food shortage and hunger-related diseases.
The agency said there are indications that another food crisis is looming in that country as a result of the recent floods.
Some analysts oppose the food aid effort because of concerns the aid might be getting diverted to the military instead of reaching the needy. But Human Rights Watch says members of the military and ordinary civilians alike suffer from hunger and food shortages.
