Caritas Internationalis on Friday called for the international community to increase aid to North Korea, whose people are feared to be facing a situation approaching levels of the famine of the mid-1990's due to a recent drop in humanitarian aid. Caritas said despite an improved harvest over the past year, a drop in foreign aid pledges has reduced the amount of assistance received by North Koreans, and has forced many people once again to scavenge for food. The Director of International Cooperation of Caritas Hong Kong, Kathi Zellweger said North Koreans are living on the edge and if aid pledges and programs are decreased any further, the effect could be devastating. In 1995, Caritas Internationalis was one of the first humanitarian organizations to respond to North Korea's initial pleas to the international community for help.