Korea (DPRK) - DHA: 15.Jun-15.Jul.97
Korea (DPRK) - DHA: 15.Jun-15.Jul.97
DHAGVA 97/0310
Democratic Peoples Republic of KOREA Humanitarian Situation Report
Period covered: 15 June-15 July 1997
This report has been prepared by the office of the United Nations
Resident Coordinator in Pyongyang
HIGHLIGHTS
The UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Yasushi
Akashi, visited the country between 24 and 28 June. During his stay, the
USG met with senior members of the Government and saw nurseries,
kindergartens, hospitals, family houses and agriculture rehabilitation
projects in Chagang, North and South Pyongan and North Hwanghae
provinces.
The President of IFAD, Mr. Fawzy Al-Sultan visited the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea from 1 to 5 July. He also met senior members
of the Government and visited ongoing and proposed project sites for
food security and income-generation activities. The Government agreed to
the UN proposal to formulate an -Agriculture Sector Investment
Programme- to form the strategic framework for input supply (one year)
and the recovery of sustainable agriculture over the medium term (three
to four years).
WFP issued on 4 July an urgent appeal for USD 45.7 million
(approximately 129,534 MTs of food aid) to provide additional rations to
children threatened with malnutrition and starvation.
UNICEF has revised upwards its emergency needs from USD 5 million in the
current appeal to more than USD 10 million. The major proposals are
related to nutritional rehabilitation, maternal and child-care and
improved water and sanitation for kindergartens and nurseries.
The IFRC launched on 18 June a revised appeal seeking CHF 25.7 million.
The main emphasis is on expanded food distribution to vulnerable groups
and support to first-level health facilities in 19 counties. It also
contains a component to enhance the disaster preparedness services of
Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Red Cross.
GENERAL ASSESSMENT
The visit, during the reporting period, of the UN USG for Humanitarian
Affairs and the President of IFAD reflects the main priorities for the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Increased humanitarian needs, not
only for food but also for health, water, sanitation and the need to
develop the agro-forestry sector with particular emphasis on strategic
intervention and sustainable food security programmes. The increased
access and cooperation accorded to humanitarian personnel augurs well
for the future of assistance but also highlights the deterioration of
the situation and the nutritional status of the population, especially
the most vulnerable - children and the elderly. The lack of basic health
services, water supply and sanitation in many areas, compounds the
difficulties facing the population during the -lean- period. The access
to new areas, the opening of provincial offices (Hamhung and Chongjin)
by WFP on July 14 and the agreement for MSF to station medical teams in
the provinces where they have their programmes must be seen as a very
important step by the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea towards better understanding and more efficient and coordinated
utilisation of relief resources donated by the international community.
The increased number of NGOs with agreements to start relief operations
and expand current emergency programmes carried out by UNICEF, WFP and
IFRC increased the need to strengthen collaboration and coordination
among the humanitarian agencies. The UN Resident Coordinator's office is
in close contact with NGOs and the main bilateral donors and has
developed (with assistance from UNICEF) a geographic database and
information system. A full-fledged GIS should be developed in the coming
months. UNICEF, IFRC and MSF will coordinate their health and
nutritional programmes, with MSF sharing UNICEF training materials and
technical guidelines, and ensuring that therapeutic feeding supplies are
specifically targeted. UNICEF and WFP are actively considering ways to
strengthen coordination and information-sharing for more effective
planning and monitoring.
FOOD
On 4 July, WFP issued an urgent appeal for USD 45.7 million in
additional food aid. The funds will allow WFP to more than double the
emergency food rations which it is currently supplying to about 2.6
million children aged six and younger.The new appeal will allow for the
increase of cereals to 250 grammes per child per day. This, combined
with a food basket of oil and pulses, will provide a daily total of
1,100 calories for each child. A small part of the new appeal will go to
hospitals.
The new appeal for USD 45.7 million or 129,534 MTs of food brings food
aid to a total of USD 141.5 million or 333,200 MTs this year.
The IFRC, through its appeal launched on 18 June, will increase its food
aid beneficiaries from 139,000 to 740,000 in 19 counties. In a
five-month operation from July to the end of November 1997, when the
results of the harvest will be known, an estimated 50,000 MTs of food
will be distributed to the target beneficiaries. Each person will
receive a daily ration of 450 grammes of cereals. An estimated 1,100 MTs
of soybeans and 190 MTs of vegetable oil will also be distributed to
some 10 percent of the target population who are elderly (over 60 years
of age), with no particular family support.
Table 1 shows the total food aid (116,536 MTs), as recorded by WFP,
received during June 1997. From January to June 1997, WFP recorded
245,387 MTs of food aid received in the country. However, food aid is
reflected only as officially reported to WFP.
Table 1 - Food Arrivals ( June 97)
Channel Rice Maize Wheat CSB Others
IFRC-KRC 8,626
UNICEF 25
WFP 8,000 49,203 13,500 538
FDRC 1,500
Bilateral 35,144
TOTAL 8,000 94,473 13,500 538 25
Caritas and Canadian Foodgrain Bank have channeled through WFP 11,475
MTs of wheat and 2,025 MTs of bran for animal feeding that were
distributed in Kangwon province. The Eugene Bell Centennial Foundation
channeled 1,500 MTs of maize through the Flood Damage Rehabilitation
Commission (FDRC).
HEALTH
UNICEF has revised upwards its needs in the current appeal from roughly
USD 5 million to more than USD 10 million. Approximately 56 percent of
the original UNICEF needs in the current appeal have been funded and
additional commitments will bring the total to virtually 100 percent.
The major new proposals are for nutritional rehabilitation of severely
malnourished children, integrated maternal and child care (including
supply of essential drugs), food security and improved water and
sanitation for kindergartens and nurseries.
The nutritional rehabilitation project is expanding and by the end of
July is expected to cover 50 to 75 hospitals. Two air shipments arrived
during the month, bringing in a total of some 70 MTs of high-energy milk
and other supplies for therapeutic feeding. In the same shipment arrived
350 kits containing essential drugs for primary level health
institutions such as Ri hospitals (one Ri hospital covers 20,000-22,000
people ) and polyclinics (one Ri polyclinic covers 1,000-4,000 people).
These kits will be distributed with accompanying guidelines for rational
drug use.
Through its new appeal, the IFRC will provide medical kits to 106 Ri
hospitals and 343 Ri polyclinics which are the first level health
centres. This health programme will be centreed in the same 19 counties
where the food distribution will be carried out.
The Ri hospitals will receive specifically designed Red Cross basic
drugs-medical supply kits and safe delivery kits and the Ri polyclinics
will be provided with basic drug-medical supply kits sufficient for one
year. Associated training will be given to the medical staff of these
health facilities.
MSF signed on 5 July a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) valid for one
year. MSF will continue with a medical and nutritional relief programme
for a period of six months.
This programme will be centred in the provinces of South Pyongan, North
Hwanghae and Kangwon, serving a population of 4.3 million in 34
counties. Apart from the office in Pyongyang, MSF will station in each
of the three provinces a doctor and a nutritionist.
MSF had distributed by the end of June essential drugs and medical
equipment to hospitals in Huichon (Chagang), Pakchon (North Pyongan),
Unpa (North Hwanghae) and Ichon (Kangwon).
SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY ASPECTS
It has been agreed that IFAD will help prepare an Agriculture Sector
Investment Programme (ASIP) as the framework for an input supply loan
for the next crop (1998). FAO and WFP will participate. UNDP has already
undertaken preparatory work. A first feasibility study on rehabilitating
the local production of fertiliser is being formulated with FAO-IFAD.
UNDP and FAO are also preparing to formulate a related programme for
reforestation. The ASIP will review the agriculture sector as a whole,
define priority investment needs and identify the areas for donor
assistance over the short-medium term. The ASIP would identify
investment needs to achieve sustainable food security, over a four to
five year period. It will cover, inter alia, the organisation and supply
of key technical services to agriculture, management of the natural
resource base and the organisation of credit facilities for individual
households. The final evaluations done by FAO-UNDP and other donors show
that the spring barley double-crop for 1997, strongly supported by the
international community, ultimately benefited 1,410 cooperative farms in
eight provinces, representing approximately 73 percent of all farms in
these provinces. The area planted by each farm varied between 20 and 50
hectares. Lowland (rice fields) barley cultivation was only prevalent in
the southern provinces. Only 492 cooperative farms could receive
fertiliser under the programme (two donors contributed fertiliser).
Double-cropping (in most cases inter-cropping) with spring barley was
done on 38,000 ha with an average seed density of 180 kg-ha. Yields
averaged between 1.5 and 2.9 MTs-ha. Total production is estimated at
over 65,000 MTs. Approximately 950,000 households were involved with
the programme, giving an average of over 68 kg of additional cereals per
household during the lean period. It is assumed that five to eight
percent of this year production (4,200 MTs) will be kept as seeds,
thereby already reducing the external supply requirements for programme
expansion.
Most farmers involved with spring barley production expressed the wish
to carry on with that cultivation, especially on the upland areas, next
year. The actual land with immediate potential for barley is estimated
at 50,000 to 60,000 ha. Additional assistance in barley seeds
(4,200-5,800 MTs) will still be necessary to take full advantage of the
potential in the 1998 spring, while aiming at self-sufficiency in seeds
for the following year. The supply of fertiliser, one of the main
constraints in the 1997 programme, must be improved. The timely
procurement of seeds and fertiliser was one of the main problems facing
the 1997 programme and assistance with inputs for the next double-crop
must be received by the middle of February 1998.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
Department of Humanitarian Affairs, Pyongyang
Mr. Christian Lemaire
Tel.: (850) 238 17 566 - 571 - Satellite: (872) 1507-451
Fax: (850) 2381-7603 - E-Mail: fo.prk@undp.org
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB),Geneva
Mr. David Bassiouni - Chief
Mr. Arjun Katoch
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1401 - Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Rosemary.Addo-Yirenkyi@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergency Division, New York
Mr. David Chikvaidze
Tel.: (1 212) 963.9665 - Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail: chikvaidze@un.org
Press to contact (DHA-Geneva)
Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2856 - Fax: (41 22) 917.0023
Telex: 414242 DHA CH - E-Mail: Moulin-Acevedo@dha.unicc.org
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