Korea (DPRK) - DHA: 16.Jul-15.Aug.97
Korea (DPRK) - DHA: 16.Jul-15.Aug.97
UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Humanitarian Situation Report
Period covered: 16 July-15 August 1997 No. 97/0327
This report has been prepared by the office of the United Nations
Resident Coordinator in Pyongyang
HIGHLIGHTS
On August 2, a preliminary inter-agency drought assessment in the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea was released by the Office of
the UN Resident Coordinator. The document pointed out that, due to
the severe drought, 70 percent of the maize crop could be considered
lost, representing a reduction of around 1.5 million MTs of cereals
for the current agricultural year.
UNICEF's Executive Director, Ms. Carol Bellamy, visited the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea from 4 to 7 August. During her
stay, UNICEF's Executive Director met with senior members of the
government and visited children's centres, kindergartens and
hospitals.
The Republic of Korea National Red Cross (ROKNRC) and the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea Red Cross (DPRKRC) met in Beijing from 23
to 25 July to evaluate the first phase of direct assistance and
discuss procedural issues for the second phase. The latter will
include the delivery by ROKNRC of 50,000 MTs of food by the end of
September.
GENERAL ASSESSMENT
On the 21 of July the Government of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, through the Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee (FDRC),
informed the UN Agencies in Pyongyang that the country was facing a
severe drought. Between 22 and 31 of July assessment visits arranged
by the FDRC with the participation of UNDP, FAO, WFP, UNICEF and
other government officials, were carried out around Pyongyang city
and in North Hwanghae, South Hamgyong and Kangwon provinces.
More than 60 days of no rains and temperatures that have teetered in
the mid thirties hit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the
most critical time for the maize crop, when tasseling and pollination
take place. As a result, all non-irrigated maize planted/transplanted
between May 5 -15 can be considered lost.
450,000 hectares of the roughly 650,000 hectares planted to maize
will be lost this year. pproximately 600,000 hectares planted to
paddy rice will be affected by the drought. The drought exacerbates
the fragility of the agricultural production system, already weakened
by two consecutive years of losses as a result of the floods.
To determine the precise magnitude of the compounded damage, caused
by the present drought, the Government of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea has agreed that an FAO/WFP crop and food supply
assessment mission will arrive in the country on 16 August.
Following the establishment of a permanent office of the Swiss
Disaster Relief (SDR) in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
the General Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation visited the country from 6 to 9 August to review the
expansion and involvement of the Swiss Government in the current
emergency and rehabilitation programmes.
Also during the reporting period, an advance party of a six-person
technical assistance team from the European Commission arrived in the
country. This team, composed of experts from ECHO and DG VIII (Food
Aid and Food Security Unit), will monitor, for an initial period of
six months, all the programmes funded by these specialised
departments of the European Commission.
The first members of the international team that will carry out a
nationwide nutritional assessment arrived in the country on the first
week of August. Preparatory work and the training of local staff,
who will assist in the survey, were initiated. Fieldwork is expected
to start within two weeks.
An increasing number of NGOs have been visiting the country to assess
the current humanitarian situation. Most of them are planning to
implement nutritional, health and agricultural programmes and to set
up offices in the country.
This increased level of international involvement occurs while the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea is facing a severe drought that
will exacerbate the already serious humanitarian situation. While
access to evaluate the humanitarian situation and to monitor on-going
operations have been progressively increased in the last months,
there are still areas of the country that have yet not been visited
by international relief organisations.
During the one-week visit of WFP's Regional Manager for Asia, a
letter of Understanding (LOU) for the expansion of the WFP/EMOP was
signed between WFP and the government. The LOU makes provisions for
WFP to increase 10-fold its food aid monitors in the near future.
The WFP sub-offices in Chongjin (North Hamgyong) and Hamhung (South
Hamgyong) opened on July 14, and are fully operational and supported
by the local authorities.
During the reporting period, the first shipment of 8,000 MTs of maize
arrived in Chongjin and CSB arrived by rail via Namyang. Both
consignments are earmarked for distribution to nurseries and
kindergartens in the northeastern provinces of North and South
Hamgyong, and Ryangang.
Institutions housing severely malnourished children were identified
by UNICEF and are now being target by WFP for priority distribution
of CSB and of 90 MTs of BP5 biscuits received by the end of July.
WFP reports that 63,589 MTs of food aid were received in July, which
brings to 310,551 MTs the total food aid received in the country from
January to July 1997. However, food aid is reflected only as
officially reported to WFP.
In July a number of NGOs (CARITAS, CWS, FHI and PMU International)
have channeled their food donations through the Government Flood
Damage Rehabilitation Committee (FDRC) or the Korean Christian
Federation. This organisation is now in a position to receive relief
goods directly.
A new agreement reached between the ROKNRC and DPRKRC on 25 July
establishes that 50,000 MTs of corn-based food will have been
delivered by ROKNRC by the end of September. It also guarantees the
presence of IFRC delegates to monitor distributions covered by the 26
May agreement, including zones outside the 19 counties of the
IFRC/DPRKRC operation.
Further information on future food arrivals remains limited,
especially regarding bilateral sources and commercial imports. Over
the next three to four months, WFP expects to receive shipments over
300,000 MTs. Up to the end of September, the 50,000 MTs agreed
between the Red Cross National Societies are expected to be
delivered. In addition, China will supply on a bilateral basis,
additional 80,000 MTs of cereals.
During her recent visit, UNICEF's Executive Director has declared the
Model Maternity Hospital in Pyongyang a Baby Friendly Hospital and
has handed over a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion. This
institution has also received maternity kits supplied under the
UNICEF's emergency programme. In the coming months, more maternity
kits will be distributed to other maternity hospitals.
UNICEF's therapeutic feeding programme is currently being implemented
in 92 institutions around the country. Over the last months, 150
doctors, 200 nurses and other health personnel from all provinces
have attended training courses organised by UNICEF. Around 2,000
manuals for therapeutic feeding were printed in Korean and are being
distributed through child care and health institutions. Additional
air shipments of around 85 MTs of high energy milk and 20 MTs of
medicine are expected in the coming days, in the framework of the
UNICEF therapeutic feeding programme. Those amounts will be further
reinforced by additional consignments due to arrive by ship during
August.
In order to carry out an in-depth evaluation of the therapeutic
feeding programme and provide recommendations for future activities,
UNICEF has fielded a nutritional expert for one month.
In the framework of its new appeal, the IFRC will start to receive in
the next weeks medical equipment and drugs to support the 106 Ri
hospitals and 343 Ri polyclinics in the 19 counties of its area of
operation.
MSF is building up its in-country presence with three doctors, three
nurses/nutritionists, one logistician and the head of delegation
expected to be in place by the end of August. A MOU was signed on 5
July covering its operations for a one-year period. MSF will have
its medical and nutritional relief programme centred in the provinces
of South Pyongan, North Hwanghae and Kangwon, serving a population of
4.3 million in 34 counties.
Early August, MSF received a 40 MTs-air shipment of drugs and medical
equipment consisting of 800 basic kits and 336 Salter scales. Another
air shipment is expected before the end of the month.
Over the next couple of days, 336 health structures in three cities
and eight counties in South Pyongan province will start receiving
around 615 basic kits, 22 dressing kits, 11 surgery kits and 164
examination kits supplied by MSF. North Hwanghae and Kangown are
targeted for the next air shipment.
FOOD SECURITY
As a result of the visit of the President Al-Sultan of IFAD, it has
been decided that a mission consisting of six agriculture experts
will arrive in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on 23 August
to prepare a comprehensive assessment of the agricultural sector, to
be called Agriculture Sector Investment Programme (ASIP). IFAD has
committed US$ 16 million to the sericulture programme and is
negotiating two US$ 20 million loans in support of a livestock
programme and of ASIP (including the purchase of food grains and
emergency agricultural inputs such as fertilizer during year one, and
support to development-oriented interventions in agriculture during
years two, three and four). ASIP is expected to provide a
comprehensive framework for donor interventions in the agricultural
sector in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the years to
come.
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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