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International aid agencies and NGOs arrived mainly after
the natural disasters of the mid 90s which crippled the agricultural
production. With the collapse of communism in Europe, the
DPRK had lost most of its friends and became more isolated
then ever. The national ideology of 'Juche' or self-reliance
had disastrous results. The Public Distribution System (PDS)
had less and less food to distribute, and perhaps as many
as 2 million people died of starvation, i.e. 10% of the population,
mainly in the urban areas in the Northeast. For a detailed
study
of the famine and its social impacts, see Andrew Natsios
(USIP 1999). Aid agencies and NGOs rushed in, but were soon
confronted with many restrictions on their activities. The
regime was accused of diverting aid to the army and the ruling
elite, and some aid organisations such as MSF, OXFAM, and
Action Contre la Faim left the country in protest. Dr. Hazel
Smith who worked for the WFP in Pyongyang has written a detailed
report on the humanitarian agencies' different attitudes towards
working in the DPRK: Overcoming
Humanitarian Dilemmas in the DPRK (July 2002).
Impact of international aid
After a joint
survey by UNICEF, WFP, and DPRK institutions in October
2002, the UN reported a significant reduction in malnutrition
since the last survey in 1998. The proportion of underweight
children fell from 61% to 21% (weight for age), wasting from
16% to 9% (weight for height - acute malnutrition), stunting
from 62% to 42% (height for age - chronic malnutrition). According
to UN OCHA these figures indicate that the international food
aid has had a significant positive impact on the intended
population, in contrast to US accusations that the DPRK uses
the food aid to feed its army. However, despite the progress
the UN voiced its concerns that the levels of malnutrition
are still high and the gains made over the last 4 years could
be lost if humanitarian aid to the DPRK is further reduced.
In October 2003 the WFP reported that despite
improved harvests, the DPRK still needs food aid for millions
of people.
OCHA reported in the CAP2003
that the operating environment for humanitarian organisations
has changed for the better, with the resolution of some long
standing issues including improvement in telecommunication
facilities, implementation of the nutrition survey, the easing
of restrictions on medical evacuations, and improved monitoring.
Although there is room for progress, especially on a range
of access issues, taken collectively these internal and external
changes give hope for the future.
The DPRK Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee reacted to
the CAP2003 in an official statement, saying that the food
aid will 'encourage the Korean people in their efforts to
overcome temporary difficulties as early as possible as it
is an expression of concern and good faith of the international
community toward the DPRK'.
Humanitarian aid and the nuclear crisis
The nuclear crisis caused some donors to suspend/reduce
aid to the DPRK in 2003. The DPRK is strongly condemning the
suspension of US aid, saying
it cannot accept political conditions for humanitarian aid.
Early January 2003 US officials stated that they expect to
continue the same level of food aid to the WFP as in the past,
stressing the US does not use food as a political weapon.
To fill the gap left by the US and Japan, the EU donated €
9.5 million to the WFP in early January 2003. On 13 January
the head of USAID, Andrew Natsios,stated the US food aid would
only resume if the DPRK allowed more US monitoring of distribution.
Natsios also said this decision should not create a food emergency
because there has been no famine in the DPRK since 1998, the
country had actually increased its food production in 2002.
The WFP head in Pyongyang, Rick Corsino, warned that a further
decline in food aid might lead the DPRK authorities to reduce
access for monitoring the distribution of aid.
On 25 February 2003 Colin Powell stated that the US
will resume its food aid, starting with an initial
shipment of 40,000 tons to be followed by another 60,000 tons
later this year. He said the US will watch carefully how the
first shipment will be distributed, to check if the DPRK allows
better food distribution monitoring. On 15 September 2003
the US State Department said it was reviewing whether to send
to additional 60,000 tons.
Japan still refuses to resume its food aid. South Korea
promised to supply rice on credit until 2005, starting with
432,000 tons this year (Seoul has a rice surplus). Total aid
from Seoul is set at US$19m this year (mainly food and medicine,
through UN agencies). Some sources say the increase in donor
pledges could be aimed at easing the tensions and calming
Pyongyang in the nuclear standoff with the US. Russia made
its first ever contribution to the WFP in June 2003, providing
$US10m for the DPRK which will be used to purchase some 40,000
tons of Russian wheat.
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Food security vulnerability is the highest
in the North East, which has been hardest hit by the economic
decline, exacerbated by adverse climatic conditions. The
region accounts for over one-fifth of the country’s
population. Once industrial strongholds, this region bore
the brunt of the loss of Soviet export markets, forcing
their large populations into dependence on the very limited
marginal land available in this mountainous region. The
region is also prone to floods and droughts due a decade
or more of deforestation. |
World Food Programme (WFP)
First called on for assistance in 1995 after floods caused
serious food shortages, WFP is now the largest international
aid organisation in the DPRK. WFP has distributed a total
of 3.4 million metric tons of food aid from 1995 to 2002,
and there is consensus that it has prevented wide-scale food
shortages.However, in 2002 the WFP has only been able to distribute
70% of its target, and malnutrition is causing the inheritance
of hunger. For 2003 the suspension of food aid following the
nuclear crisis seriously affects WFP operations. Read
more
Tumen River Area Development Programme
The Tumen River Area Development Programme is a joint project
of the five member countries: China, the DPRK, Mongolia, the
ROK and the Russian Federation. It is supported by the UN
Development Programme (UNDP) and other donors. Its name is
derived from the Tumen River that serves as a border between
the DPRK, China, and Russia. Read
more
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UN agencies
such as UNDP (since 1980), FAO, UNICEF,
OCHA, UNFPA, UNIDO,
UNIFEM, IFAD, WHO are all active in the DPRK, but the
WFP has the biggest operations with 50 international
staff, 60 local staff, and 5 regional offices.
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The International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is supporting
the DPRK Red Cross Society on the implementation of programs
in health, water and sanitation, disaster preparedness
and response and organisational development. |
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The European
Union was starting to provide technical assistance
to the DPRK, in addition to its food aid program since
1995, but recently canceled. Read
more |
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The Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has been
working since 1995 in DPRK, and opened a permanent coordination
office in 1997. |
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The Development Cooperation Office of Italy
provides food-aid to DPRK starting from 1996. In 2002
it opened an office in Pyongyang. |
International NGOs in the DPRK
- list
of contacts in the DPRK - or check HDRC
NGOs working within CAP:
- Concern Worldwide, since 1997
- Cooperazione e Sviluppo (CESVI) since 1997
- Deutsche Welthungerhilfe / German Agro Action (DWH/GAA)
since 1997
- Campus fur Christus (CfC) since 1995
- PMU Interlife, since 1995
- Handicap International Belgium (HI B) since 2001
- Triangle Generation Humanitaire (TGH) since 2000
- Premiere Urgence (PU) since 2002
- Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) since 1999
- Cap Anamur since 1998 left 2002
- Children's Aid Direct left in 2002
- Save the Children UK since 2003
- AFMAL
since 2003
It is said the DPRK is allowing more and more NGOs to start
activities and is providing better cooperation and access.
Oxfam and Medecins Sans Frontieres are considering to come
back.
Non-resident NGOs working through the Food-Aid Liaison Unit
(FALU):
- Action by Churches Together (ACT)
- Canadian Foodgrains Bank
- Caritas Internationalis
- World Vision International (WVI)
Other NGOs:
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