Attachments
Chronic and widespread undernutrition continues to push large portions of the population in DPR Korea into humanitarian need. Despite recent improvements in malnutrition at the national level (from 28% in 2012 to 19% last year according to the 2017 Multi Indicator Cluster Survey), more than 10 million people – or 40% of the population – are undernourished and require humanitarian assistance. Many rural areas continue to face a nutrition crisis and require urgent and sustained support; five provinces face serious chronic malnutrition, with some rates as high as 40%. Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly in iron, zinc, vitamin A and iodine, are common and rates of anaemia among pregnant women stand at 31.2%. There is also an established relationship between poor nutrition and increased susceptibility to diseases including Tuberculosis (TB), which poses a major public health risk in DPR Korea.
More frequent and severe natural hazards in DPR Korea mean that communities’ coping capacities are stretched to the limit, and the risks of humanitarian catastrophes are real.
Floods, drought and heatwaves affect the country, sometimes in the same year, destabilising agricultural production and affecting food security in the long term. Communities in disaster-prone areas are continuously threatened by both chronic malnutrition and shocks associated with disasters, putting immense strains on their already limited coping capacities.
The threat of humanitarian crises in the DPR Korea is ever present, and emergency response capacity is a critical need. Major droughts occurred in 2014 and 2015, when humanitarian partners responded providing lifesaving assistance to 1.3 million people.
The country also saw severe flooding in August 2015 and August 2016, requiring significant humanitarian interventions.
WFP Value proposition: Since 1995, WFP has delivered 4.6 million mt of food to the DPR Korea through emergency and relief operations, helping feed millions during and after the famine years. WFP DPR Korea’s Interim Country Strategic Plan (ICSP) 2019-2021 shows how the organization will continue its crucial humanitarian work towards zero hunger, in a manner that protects the food security and nutrition gains made so far, while preventing undernutrition, especially among those most at risk. Specifically, the ICSP outlines three strategic outcomes to contribute to SDG 2 (zero hunger).