Millions of North Koreans at risk as funding shortfalls persist

New York, 8 December 2003 - The health of millions of North Koreans is at risk, according to the latest monthly update issued by the World Food Programme (For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA NY, 917 367 5126, mobile 917 892 1679; Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, 41 22 917 2653, mobile 41 (0) 79 472 4570.WFP) for North Korea.
With the 2003 Consolidated Appeal for the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) just over half funded, at times this year up to three million food aid beneficiaries have been dropped from WFP distributions. From December, cereal shortfalls will affect 2.2 million beneficiaries on the west coast of the country, including young children and pregnant and nursing women. In addition, in November WFP had to stop cereal distributions to 700,000 elderly people.

Unless new pledges are confirmed soon, by May 2004, cereal shortfalls may affect 3.8 million people countrywide. In addition, local food production factories will face shortages of wheat flour by April 2004. WFP supplies 18 factories that produce food for millions of hungry children and infants, as well as fortified noodles for pregnant and nursing women.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the humanitarian crisis in the DPRK mainly affects the country's youngest children. 42 per cent of young children are chronically malnourished and around 70,000 children are severely acutely malnourished and at high risk of dying if they do not receive critical hospital treatment. Health facilities throughout the country are not able to provide adequate treatment for common but life threatening children's illnesses, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, because of widespread shortages of essential medicines and inadequate health worker skills. In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) could provide only a very limited range off essential medicines to health facilities.

Meanwhile, a recent mission by the Office for the Coordination of humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to the northeast of DPRK noted that the area has been hardest hit by the economic decline and is considered the most vulnerable. The region is suffering from chronic and severe shortages of electricity, with most officials reporting only 3 to 4 hours of electricity per day. This also means that water is only available for 3 to 4 hours per day. Fuel for heating and cooking is also in very short supply. Due to economic decline in industries, in the provinces of Ryanggang, North and South Hamgyong, people have become heavily dependent on limited marginal land, which has resulted in massive deforestation.

The Consolidated Appeal for DPRK for 2004 seeks US$ 221 million. While the country is slowly recovering from the food crisis during the mid to late 1990s, a chronic humanitarian emergency remains, with no clear end in sight.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA NY, 917 367 5126, mobile 917 892 1679
Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, 41 22 917 2653, mobile 41 (0) 79 472 4570