North Korea Food Crisis: Weekly Update #1

Background

The alarming food shortages in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) has led to an international humanitarian relief effort, in which CARE USA and four other aid agencies are distributing and monitoring 55,000 metric tons of food donated by the U.S. Government. The Food Aid and Monitoring Support Project will help the most vulnerable portions of Korean society - children, women, and the elderly - to survive until the harvest next month.

The consortium of aid agencies is now fully operational, working from a temporary office in Pyongyang. The agencies are:

° CARE USA
° Catholic Relief Services
° Amigos Internacionales
° Mercy Corps International
° World Vision Relief and Development

The consortium communicate regularly with the North Korean Government's Flood Damage Rehabilitation Commission (FDRC), the World Food Programme (WFP) office in Pyongyang, and the various headquarters concerned.

Recent Developments

Division of Food

The first food shipment of nearly 25,000 metric tons arrived Aug. 25 aboard the Judy Litrico. Three additional shipments are scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks. The consortium of aid agencies will monitor 55,000 metric tons, while the WFP will monitor an additional 45,000 metric tons. However, all three parties (WFP, FDRC, and the aid agencies) will agree on overall programmatic and distribution plans.

Responding to Typhoon Winnie

The intensity of activity around CARE's response to the humanitarian crisis in North Korea stepped up considerably in the wake of the country's August 22 bout with Typhoon Winnie. Winds and tidal surges created severe damage to protective dikes and planted fields in three southern provinces (North Pyongan, South Pyongan, and South Huanghae).

The Typhoon affected 22 counties in three provinces: North Pyongan, South Pyongan, and South Huanghae. The North Korean Government estimates that 2.8 million people were affected by the storm, with 29,000 people made homeless. The government also reported significant agricultural losses, including 107,625 hectares of damaged land and 700,000 metric tons of lost cereal crops. Nearly 1,000 sea dikes were also destroyed. CARE is working to verify the damage reports from independent sources.

After assessments in several counties and discussions with WFP and the U.S. Agency for International Development, CARE and the other agencies directed 12,750 metric tons of the relief food to victims of the typhoon through a food-for-work project to repair the damaged dikes. The program will provide critically needed support to more than 371,000 households for a period of 21 days, until they can reap the harvest of their own fields in early October.

The following table indicates how the food will be distributed:

Monitoring Plans

In order to ensure that the food (in both the food-for-work and regular programs) reaches its intended beneficiaries without overlapping with other programs, the consortium has paid careful attention to developing detailed and realistic plans for:

° Monitoring the movement of the food.
° Monitoring how the food is distributed and used.
° Measuring the impact of the food aid on communities.

The consortium is currently focusing on the food-for-work program, and the details of later distributions will be completed over the next week.

Monitoring will ensue in two phases:

1. Over a 10-day period, the full consortium team will visit all 22 counties targeted for food distribution.
2. Three smaller groups will then take intensive oversight of each province. The FDRC has provided the consortium with three vehicles, while the WFP and the Korean government are providing logistical support.

Other Consortium Activities

One victim of the typhoon's surges and tidal wave was the largest North Korean salt production facility, located on the country's western coast. This being the time for production of kim-chi, a local staple food item consisting of salted-dried cabbage, the loss of 120,000 metric tons of salt presents yet another threat to the ability of North Koreans to weather the winter. In response to a request from the FDRC, CARE has allocated $5,000 from its Emergency Response Fund for the purchase of salt from China, and Catholic Relief Services is matching this amount.

Other CARE Activities

North Korea has recognized the presence of two CARE entities in the country: the CARE USA representation in the consortium of aid agencies; and CARE International, represented by a staff member from CARE Australia who is monitoring the use of the 1,000 metric tons of fertilizer procured by CARE Norge with funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. CARE International is also assessing the possibilities for other, non-food assistance to the North Korean population. With the winter season fast approaching and most belongings washed away by Winnie's tidal wave, CARE International will, in the short term, purchase warm clothing for children, using funds secured by CARE Deutschland. In the longer term, CARE International is exploring several possibilities, including a range of food security initiatives such as greenhouses, family food plots (seeds and tools), and small animal husbandry. Water and sanitation projects in the capital, Pyongyang, are also being considered.