Document - U

Report on ACT TEAM Visit to North Korea
27th May to 3rd June, 1997

General Impressions

Food deficits throughout the parts of North Korea visited are evident and even more so than during the last ACT visit in October 1996. It is not without base that FDRC mentions food aid as their first priority. Food rations through the Public Distribution System (PDS) were effectively down to 100 grams per person per day in the places where the team inquired.

PDS warehouses/distribution centres in many places are nearly or completely empty. Both the authorities and UNICEF speak of significant numbers of undernourished and malnourished children - estimating that out of a total of 2,7 million children up to six years, 15% in the country are at risk.

In one of the kindergartens visited, the headmaster told the team that the 210 children (age 5 to 7) in her institution this year were on average 2 cm shorter and weighed 2-3 kg less than the children used to do when food supplies were sufficient. She also explained that the children’s ability to concentrate during play and lessons was markedly reduced, though none of the children in this or other institutions visited showed grave signs of mal- or undernourishment. The children are given rations of 100 grams of cereal in the kindergarten and may receive additional food at home depending of the situation of their family.

Senior UNICEF staff in North Korea describe a very serious situation for children in North-Korea. They have visited numerous nurseries, kindergartens, clinics and pediatric hospitals throughout the country and everywhere report severe - even extremely severe - cases of malnutrition and undernourishment. This includes cases of marasmus and kwashiorkor. In two hospitals in Kangwon Province, 60-70 severe cases were registered.

Observations on general conditions of population

The team observed the population at random in Pyongyang and at first sight did not see signs of advanced hunger or starvation. A closer look, however, revealed that some individuals were destitute.

The general impression observing the population in the fields, villages, towns and cities along the 400 km long rail road trip to the northern city of Shinuejoo was markedly worse. Obviously a very meagre diet and the effect of the overall economic crisis and general supply shortages, has left large sections of the population looking haggard, poorly dressed and struggling to maintain normal life. One team member coined the phrase "carpet hunger" to describe this impression of the vast majority of the population surviving on insufficient food and other supplies. WFP officials have used terms such as "a famine in slow motion" to describe the same situation.

As the train approached Shinuejoo (on the Chinese border) more individual cases of obvious hunger and destitution were observed along the rail road - especially elderly women and children. In Shinuejoo station the team passed a group of at least 15 dirty children in layer-upon-layer of worn out clothes and wet canvas shoes scraping for single grains of maize and other usable items under empty rail road wagons.

In and around Shinuejoo station and city several small family groups (women and children mainly) could be observed - they looked absolutely destitute and appeared to have nowhere to go to. These small groups of two to four persons were huddled together with a few possessions and only a sheet of plastic for cover in the heavy rain. They had the typical appearance of small family groups that have left their homes in the countryside to look for food in the city. When we asked officials about these groups of destitute, they had no answer. They did admit, however, that the existence of homeless people can no longer be ruled out.

Whether these groups of people (maybe 75 to 100 individuals observed in total) represent only exceptional cases or are glimpses of a far worse crisis further into the mountainous northern region of North Korea is hard to tell. Indications, however, point in the direction that a severe problem is developing in remote parts, especially in the mountain areas, as the PDS simply no longer has the resources to feed them all.

It should be noted that Shinuejoo is an important border city (app. 330,000 inhabitants) and that barter trade with China is on the increase. As such it may attract people from the surrounding countryside and mountain areas who are searching for an opportunity to barter roots (herbal medicine), dried fish and other items in the hope of making some sort of a living.

Since the PDS is no longer able to feed the whole country, it appears to be concentrating its remaining food resources on the populations further south and "inland" since they have less opportunities to barter for food. An example of the consequences of this policy (or priority) was a fairly senior city official in Shinuejoo who reported that he and the other members of his "working unit" (part of the local Security) were receiving food rations of only 200 grams per person per day but were encouraged, as a unit, to engage in barter trade across the border with China so as to make up the deficit.

Moreover, the government has allowed people to set up small shops (kiosks) selling all kinds of items to contribute towards their livelihood. Along from the main rail station, the team saw whole rows of tent-shops, where bread, dried fish, cigarettes, etc. were sold.

Agriculture - Double Cropping - Spring Barley Seeds

A portion of the ACT contribution of 500 tons of spring barley seeds was inspected at two co-operative farms outside Pyongyang. The barley was growing well and looked at though it would be ready for harvest within about a month. According to the farm manager, they would harvest about 12 times the initial seed input i.e. in Danggok Cooperative Farm they had received 45 tons and subsequently planted it on 300 hectares. They were expecting a yield of 540 tons.

If the same is true for all 500 tons of the ACT donation it will amount to 6,000 tons in total. Furthermore, during the remaining planting season maize will be sown on the plots now used for barley, thus giving two crops within one year.

This is an example of the double cropping strategy now (1997) being introduced on altogether 50,000 hectares of land in North Korea. This way will make better use of the existing arable land rather than relying on the extension of farming further into poor and marginal land. It is still too early to draw conclusions concerning this experiment but the findings so far seem promising. Plans to expand double cropping in 1998 are already being prepared and may well contribute to medium and long term food security in the DPRK.

Distribution, Monitoring and Reporting System

In the current system, the PDS is responsible for the actual distribution of all food and non-food items in North-Korea, while the FDRC (Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee) is responsible for the planning and co-ordination of external aid in co-operation with the WFP (World Food Programme of the United Nations). The latter also monitors and reports on external aid viz-à-viz donors and back-donors. Concerning emergency aid, the team’s impression was that the PDS is presently the only usable system with an existing infrastructure as well as sufficient experience to carry out large scale distributions of relief country-wide. This confirms the findings of last years ACT mission.

Apparently, there are sectors of the population whose needs are no longer met because of the severe food shortage. Despite the aid coming in, e.g. WFP 203,000 million tons, the team was informed that there will be a food deficit of one million tons by the next harvest in October 1997.

Next Harvest - Food Prospects beyond 1997

Planting (mainly rice, maize and vegetables) was underway on a massive scale in all the agricultural areas the team visited or saw in passing. All sectors of the population (students, soldiers, officials, children, etc.) have been asked to participate in this work. Furthermore it seems that every possible square inch of land is under cultivation - even between rail road tracks vegetables were being sown.

No doubt the authorities are prioritising on trying to secure a sufficient harvest for 1997/98. Whether this massive input of manual labour can make up for the almost total lack of fertilizers, pesticides, the damage from the 1995-96 floods and years, if not decades of accumulated exploitation and subsequent degradation of the best farm land, is another question. Furthermore, whether the authorities’ emphasis on expanding arable areas into very poor and marginal land can make up for obvious shortcomings in structural development and the lack of a viable economy remains to be seen.

Glimpses of the health system

In the two hospitals we visited the doctors expressed a need for specific medicines (mainly broad spectrum antibiotics). The hospital in Pyongyang came across as no longer adequate for today’s situation but still in a good general condition. The children’s hospital in Shinuejoo in contrast looked rather poor and seemed in a state of paralysis as there were only 30 patients for 220 beds. Serving as a referral hospital for a province with approximately 800,000 children this could indicate either excellent general health among the population - which would contradict UNICEF’s and the FDRC’s findings -, very effective local health facilities, or it could be an indication that the hospital is malfunctioning i.e. patients have stopped coming as it has little to offer them in terms of treatment or food.

Based on thorough and numerous visits to hospitals and health clinics, UNICEF staff had arrived at the conclusion that due to shortages of food, medicine and medical equipment the public health system could be close to collapse; already now, it seems that the majority of the people are depending on traditional medicine.

UNICEF is working on a list of recommended basic medication (antibiotics, pain-killers, etc.) which will be available soon. In future, UNICEF has decided to make health, water and sanitation important priorities in their North Korea Programme.

Conclusions drawn / to be considered

FDRC had named the two utmost priorities: food and fertilizers. Medication is the next priority as the country’s own pharmaceutical production is currently hampered by a lack of raw materials.

Certainly food aid is needed at least up to the next harvest in October/November 1997 and the ACT Network should try its utmost to at least fulfill the target set in the 1997 Appeal for North Korea.

However, additional inputs into food production like seeds and fertilizers are just as necessary and could be considered when further funds are raised within the existing ACT appeal. Decisions as to whether to use further funds for food aid, seeds, fertilizers, medicines or other relief items, need to be taken in the context of the other donations to North Korea, i.e. WFP, Fed. of Red Cross Societies and other NGOs.

KCF - Korean Christian Federation

It has become a good custom for ACT delegations / teams to pay a visit to KCF and attend Sunday worship at the Bongsoo Church. This team made no exception and met with KCF twice; at the Sunday worship the delegates extended greetings to the participants and reiterated the invitations to both the "Kirchentag" of the Evangelical Church in Germany in June this year and to the WCC meeting in Geneva around the same time.

A final word

Last, but not least, the team wants to express its gratitude to FDRC for making this visit possible and meaningful, for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality, and for all the arrangements and efforts made to ensure the comfort of the team. In spite of all the hardship that the people of the region are facing these days, we feel overwhelmed by their warmth and loving concern.

Members of the ACT team
Pyongyang, 2nd June, 1997