UN agency receives major boost to feeding programme in DPR Korea

The United Nations food agency today welcomed a contribution in excess of $20 million from the Republic of Korea to provide food assistance to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), where a lack of funds has already led to cutbacks in critically needed feeding programmes.

“This crucial and very generous donation will allow us to increase our response to the most pressing needs of the people of the DPRK,” said Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

“The significant gap between food required and food available in the DPRK has led to growing hardship and suffering for millions. The situation calls for determined and timely action by the international community and we welcome the lead taken by the Republic of Korea,” she added.

The contribution, a mix of commodities, comes in the middle of the “lean season” when household food stocks traditionally run low and when WFP has been forced to suspend school feeding during June for 400,000 children in 29 underserved, food-insecure counties in the DPRK.

It will allow WFP to resume food assistance for children, pregnant women and families in food-insecure areas. WFP also hopes it will help it to reach more than double the number of present beneficiaries, from 700,000 to 1.9 million, in all 50 counties where the DPRK authorities have agreed to WFP food distributions.

At the same time, the agency warned that millions in DPRK still face severe food shortages. Despite steady improvements in the country’s food situation after the famine years of the mid- to late 1990s, having enough to eat is still a struggle for one third of its population, notably those living in remote and mountainous regions.

“With this donation, WFP can begin to meet the needs of a much larger number of North Koreans, especially those who need our help the most,” stated Tony Banbury, WFP’s Regional Director for Asia.