UN Emergency Relief Coordinator welcomes USAID food contribution to DPRK

After having appealed together with the Executive Directors of the World Food Programme and the United Nations Children's Fund on 30 April for increased humanitarian funding to prevent a deterioration of conditions in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Emergency Relief Coordinator welcomes today's announcement by the United States Agency for International Development of an additional contribution of 100,000 metric tons of food aid to that country. This generous contribution by the Government of the United States will help to remedy an anticipated break in July of WFP's food aid pipeline for DPRK.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator trusts that other Member States will also provide support to the humanitarian programme in DPRK. According to the Mid-Year Review of the Consolidated Appeal for DPRK, a critical lack of funding in the health sector, particularly for essential drugs and emergency nutritional rehabilitation programmes, places vulnerable groups at risk of dying preventable deaths.