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Source: Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Date: 24 Mar 2003
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ACT Appeal DPR Korea: Relief & Rehabilitation - ASKP-31
Appeal Target: US$ 835,000
Balance Requested from ACT Network: US$ 535,000
Geneva, 24 March 2003
Dear Colleagues,
Being named in 2002 as one of the countries in the so-called
axis of evil by the US president, George W Bush, brought
about an immediate political and diplomatic shift in DPRK's
relationship with the US and its neighbors. Yet, behind the
political posturing and brinkmanship being played out on the
world's stage, lies the harsh reality of a country still
reliant on food aid from the UN's World Food Program and
other international humanitarian agencies. After years of
crop failures, disastrous weather and an economy that is at
best described as fragile and embattled, millions of North
Koreans today rely on this food to stay alive.
Threats of nuclear re-armament by the DPRK government has
only increased the isolation of this country, which is known
as the most secretive in the world. However, stopping
humanitarian aid will not break the political stalemate -
rather, it will leave millions of people in a situation where
they could easily slip back into a state of crisis.
This appeal describes the continued response to the
vulnerable people of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
(DPRK) by the ACT Alliance, through its co-ordinating agency
Diakonie Emergency Aid (DEA).
Through the already existing network of implementing partners
ACT/DEA will support Rehabilitation Programmes in the areas
of agriculture and health. Relief assistance will still be
available in case of new disasters and for the most
vulnerable sections of the population.
It should be noted that also other ACT Members are providing
bilateral assistance to the people of the DPRK.
Project Completion Date: 31 March 2004
Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and
Balance Requested
US$
Total Appeal Target(s) 835,000
Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd. 300,000
Balance Requested from ACT Network 535,000
Please kindly send your contributions to the following ACT
bank account:
Account Number - 240-432629.60A (USD)
Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together
UBS SA
PO Box 2600
1211 Geneva 2
SWITZERLAND
Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira
(direct tel. +4122/791.60.38, e-mail address jkg@act-
intl.org) of all pledges/contributions and transfers,
including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the
Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.
We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit
applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding
and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your
kind cooperation.
ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org
Elizabeth Ferris
Co-ordinator
Diakonia & Solidarity
World Council of Churches Thor- Arne Prois
Director, ACT Robert Granke
Director
LWF/World Service
ACT is a worldwide network of churches and related agencies
meeting human need through coordinated emergency response.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council
of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in
Switzerland.
I. REQUESTING ACT MEMBER
ACT/Diakonie Emergency Aid (DEA): Co-ordinating Agency for
Act Response in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
(DPRK).
II. ACT CO-ORDINATING AGENCY INFORMATION
As in the years 1997 to 2002, ACT member Diakonie Emergency
Aid (DEA) , the Humanitarian Aid Department of Diakonisches
Werk (DW) Germany, is prepared to be the ACT Co-ordinating
Agency for ACT response and appeal projects in the DPRK in
the year 2003.
Within the given limits and circumstances beyond their
control and/or influence, DEA will help to ensure co-
ordination and facilitation of the ACT emergency response. It
will also ensure that the critical tasks of assessment,
relationship, procurement, transport, financial control,
monitoring and reporting are carried out in close co-
operation with the NGO Food Aid Liaison Unit (FALU) within
the WFP office located in Pyongyang, and with UNICEF,
Pyongyang.
III. INFORMATION on IMPLEMENTING MECHANISMS & PARTNERS
The Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee (FDRC): This is a
DPRK government office and is responsible for the planning
and co-ordination of all external humanitarian aid in North
Korea. The FDRC works in conjunction with the FALU office of
the WFP and with other UN agencies such as UNICEF, FAO and
UNDP.
The Agreement between the Government of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea, Action by Churches Together and
the United Nations World Food Programme outlines provisions
and obligations that govern the donation of commodities by
the Non Governmental Agency "Action by Churches Together"
(ACT) through the Food Aid Liaison Unit (FALU) of the United
Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
World Food Program/Food Aid Liaison Unit (WFP/FALU): In order
to ensure effective co-ordination of food and other material
aid inputs from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), WFP
proposed the establishment of the Food Aid Liaison Unit
(FALU) in the WFP Pyongyang office. ACT facilitated the
establishment of FALU in December 1996 in co-operation with
other NGOs.
A new Memorandum of Understanding between the NGO Consortium -
FALU and the WFP has been worked out and has become
effective as of 1 January 2003. The NGO members of the FALU
agreement with WFP, include ACT, Caritas, the Canadian Food
Grains Bank, Mercy Corps International, ADRA and World
Vision.
The FALU office and staff represent the interests of NGOs who
are donating food and non-food relief for the DPRK crises.
The operational costs of the FALU, including salaries,
benefits, travel, housing, office operations and other
required support are jointly funded by the NGO members of the
FALU agreement.
UNICEF/ACT-DEA POH (Project Officer Health), MALU (Medical
Aid Liaison Unit). Since 1998 assistance in the field of
medical aid has been carried out through temporary technical
consultancy in co-operation with the German Institute on
Medical Mission (DIFÄM), while UNICEF/MALU has been entrusted
with the facilitation and follow up in the country. For 2003,
Diakonie will maintain the technical consultancy of DIFÄM on
temporary assignments as deemed necessary.
The Korean Christian Federation (KCF) represents the
Protestant churches in North Korea and is the equivalent of a
National Christian Council. KCF joined the DPRK government
appeal in 1995 and requested humanitarian assistance and
support from ACT. Since then, ACT has worked co-operatively
and in co-ordination with KCF, building on the long term
relations already established through KCF's work with the
World Council of Churches and utilising KCF's capacity
whenever possible for the facilitation and provision of
humanitarian work.
IV. DESCRIPTION of the SITUATION in DPRK
Background of ACT Response in the DPRK
The ACT emergency response in the DPRK began following the
devastating floods which occurred during July and August
1995, for which the government of the DPRK appealed for
assistance from other countries, relief agencies and
churches.
Although the 1995 floods were followed by more disasters, it
was not so much the recurrence of natural disasters that kept
the country on the edge of collapse, but the inability of the
weak and continuously declining economic system of the DPRK
that does not allow either people or government to cope with
such "natural" conditions. Even in times with no disasters,
neither industrial nor agro-production is able to
sufficiently provide goods for consumption and for a decent
livelihood for the 22 million people.
Humanitarian agencies are facing a very special situation
when working in DPRK. The Government seeks to be in control
of everything, which impedes independent and self determined
actions of agencies in order to avoid disturbances of the
collective systems. The humanitarian aid agencies are
constantly looking for ways to maintain the necessary
independence and to follow basic humanitarian principles such
as independent needs assessments, own monitoring and
evaluations of their operations.
Within this specific context, ACT has developed pragmatic and
effective relations with the DPRK authorities, which have
enabled ACT to respond to the massive humanitarian needs of
the North Korean people during the past seven years through
the provision of food, ingredients for food production,
seeds, fertilisers and other agricultural inputs, medicines,
pharmaceutical raw materials and various non-food items. It
also enables ACT to slowly effectuate a transition from
relief oriented assistance like food and material aid towards
context appropriate programmes leading towards sustainable
and longer term rehabilitation.
Situation and needs
a) General situation:
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union North Korea has
suffered from a lack of various products and resources
essential for all kinds of economic activities such as
fertiliser for satisfying agricultural production or spare
parts for industrial plants and machinery; power supplies for
all kind of transportation and communication or capital as
input into production processes or trade.
During the last decade, the problems this lack of material
resources created was exacerbated by a lack of flexibility
and openness of the leadership with respect to much needed
economic and societal reforms. Only recently, changes have
been noted. In July 2002 a new system of prices and salaries
for goods and services was initiated as well as a pilot-
permit for private farmers' production and direct marketing.
Efforts were made to attract foreign investment and establish
free trade and production zones. However, it is too early to
ascertain whether these efforts will be successful. In
addition to these internal factors, the recent deterioration
of external relations negatively affected all efforts towards
more openness and change within the country.
In 2002, US President George W Bush included North Korea in
the 'axis of evil' and withdrew or delayed US shipments of
food and heavy fuel oil. North Korea's resumption of its
nuclear programme and the disclosure of its kid-napping
practice in the 70s, all contributed to a confrontative
situation on the Peninsula. Although the US Government is
still following a more diplomatic non-violent course, it is
urging its allies in the region to follow this restrictive
policy to put pressure on North Korea to end its nuclear arms
efforts. DPRK has been denied membership of international
finance institutions, such as World Bank, that could help
rebuild its infrastructure as a precondition to improving any
kind of production.
The actual humanitarian situation has seen some improvement
especially with respect to the nutrition status of its
people. Due to favourable climatic conditions, the harvest in
2002 was in most areas quite good. This, in combination with
a good response through the humanitarian agencies, has caused
a significant reduction in the rates of malnutrition:
underweight children from 61 % in 1998 to 21 % in 2002;
wasting (or acute malnutrition) from 16 % to 9%; stunting (or
chronic malnutrition) from 62% to 42%. (Source: UN OCHA
report Dec./Jan.2003). However it should be noted that these
achievements can be easily endangered if there is a too early
withdrawal of support for the country. "The crisis is not
over. If the UN can't provide more medicine and food - and
quickly - we will see malnutrition rise again, undoing much
of the progress that has been made." James Morris, WFP
Executive Director.
b) Special needs
Food production/Nutrition:
Although the harvest was satisfactory in 2002, there is still
not enough production to be self-sufficient. Right at the
beginning of the new year 2003, WFP reported an acute lack of
enriched supplementary food to be given to the most
vulnerable, i.e. 3 million children, pregnant women and
elderly people. Also factories for local food production
(LFP) had to reduce their production due to lack of raw
materials like DSM, sugar, cereals or wheat flour. It is
expected that during the first half of 2003, the rations
provided by the still functioning public distribution system
will again decrease from the present 300 or 200g/person/day.
This will have a severe negative impact on the food security
of those who depend totally on the distribution system such
as the people in urban areas, orphans and elderly.
The newly introduced system of private food production (on
pieces of land given to the farmers) and direct marketing
deserves support as it will certainly contribute to a better
food supply. However, the bulk of food is still produced on
collective farms with too poor output and high vulnerability.
The new economic system still has to prove that it can
function and that everybody gets the chance to earn money and
buy goods. There is also a great risk that part of the
society will not benefit from this system and will continue
to need support, like those who depend only on wages and have
no access to land.
Health:
Clinics and hospitals still lack sufficient supplies of
medicine and equipment, thus being unable to provide
appropriate health care. During winter-time the situation of
both patients and staff worsens as they also suffer from cold
and unhealthy conditions. Distribution of medicine depends on
availability of drugs and on the functioning of the
distribution system. UNICEF has invested much into
strengthening the medical ware-housing system and logistics
of distribution. The provision of raw material to
pharmaceutical factories in Pyongyang by ACT/DEA/Difäm and
UNICEF to ensure the production of essential pharmaceutical
products in Pyongyang will this year be complemented by the
World Health Organisation (WHO). The shipments of raw
material contributes significantly to a better medical care
for people in North Korea, also assisting the further
development of the national system of pharmaceutical
production and distribution, which will contribute to the
decrease of the country's dependence on outside help. Due to
limited contacts of North Korean medical staff with the
outside world, there is a growing need to update knowledge on
best practices in medicine, drug use, health care and public
health in order to keep pace with other pharmaceutical
companies and fulfil international standards of good
manufacturing practises.
Peace and Reconciliation
The hardening of aggressive and hostile talk and action,
especially between the North and the South of the peninsula,
and against the United States of America has a harmful effect
on the people. Therefore, all efforts need to be supported
that contribute to the harmonisation of the antagonistic
positions between North and South, to the de-escalation of
tensions and to the enhancement of mutual understanding and
acceptance.
Many Koreans, both in the North and the South see the
elaboration of peaceful solutions and a self-determined
process from peaceful co-existence to reunification as the
only option they have. This can only be reached through
dialogue based on tolerance and compromise. Churches in the
North and in the South are working on this aspect as much as
possible under the given circumstances. They need our support
and encouragement.
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