Archive for the 'Humanitarian' Category

Food Delivery Progressing Well

Published
by
DarkSoju
on November 11, 2008
in Food Aid, Human Interest and Humanitarian
. 0 Comments

Last week, I met up with some relief workers monitoring the food distribution in the DPRK.  They are on their first set of well-deserved R&R after about 7 weeks of field work.  In general, they report good co-operation with their North Korean counterparts, although they acknowledge that they are working under difficult circumstances and that they have very little control over the political whirlwinds swirling around them.

I found a new appreciation for what they do, as they explained to me the level of detail in paperwork and record keeping that has to be accounted for.  From the port, to the regional distribution point, to the local schools, to the homes.  For the most part, they are riding on top of the existing socialist food ticket distribution system, but the spot checks that are allowed to happen at the lowest level seem exceptional for DPRK.  After checking the attendance and distribution records for a school, if children are listed as absent or unable to receive their food rations, the monitors have asked and been permitted to visit the families.  But, as reported before, the relief workers have to get one week prior approval.

One person from the US mentioned a little boy who literally froze motionless as the relief worker walked by, smiled and waved.  Not only was this the first caucasian this boy had ever seen in real life, but a representative from America - a country he was taught to hate.

The Christian food monitors introduce themselves as bringing food and help from the people of America and all the food shipments have the USAID logo on each bag.

In addition to the UN World Food Program, the following organizations are currently involved with the distribution of food aid in the DPRK: Mercy Corps, Word Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Global Resource Services, and Christian Friends of Korea.

As winter nears, traveling the icy and mountainous roads will become more difficult.  According to the aid workers, there will need to be a balance with providing enough of a food supply buffer at the distribution centers and having adequate monitoring.

We wish them well and good health during the next couple months.

NK Defectors Headed for Japan

Published
by
DarkSoju
on October 25, 2008
in Human Interest, Humanitarian and Refugees
. 0 Comments

This article in Asahi Shinbum is a fascinating glimpse into North Korean Defectors in China seeking asylum in Japan (or, other third-party countries).

The Japanese Embassy in Beijing and the consulate-general in Shenyang have been forced to take in dozens of defectors who have barged through gates and scaled walls seeking refuge.

The existence of the bento, prepared at a Japanese restaurant, is known to few aside from people working in the diplomatic facility.  The food is for “guests” who, as far as the Japanese government is concerned, are not welcome.

The guests are defectors from North Korea who have sought refuge inside the compound.

According to the article, records show that more than 93,000 people went to North Korea between 1959 and 1984 under a repatriation program conducted by the Japanese and North Korean Red Cross societies.  The figure includes 6,600 spouses and children of Japanese nationality.

Both Tokyo and Beijing have bitter memories of an ill-fated attempt by five North Korean defectors to seek refuge at the Shenyang Consulate-General in 2002, an incident which drew an international outcry.

Japanese officials watched impotently as Chinese security officials hauled the defectors from the gates of the compound and took them into custody, provoking criticism of not only the Chinese authorities but also the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Following the incident, Tokyo and Beijing appear to have agreed to “quietly handle” the repatriation of defectors to Japan and third countries and prevent incidents from catching the public eye.

World Food Program - “Best Access”

Published
by
DarkSoju
on September 4, 2008
in Food Aid and Humanitarian
. 1 Comment
Rural village in the country side

Rural village in the country side

“A new agreement with the government now gives the WFP ‘the best access and working conditions’ it has ever enjoyed, (Tony) Banbury said, allowing the agency to deploy more foreign staff than ever before. For the first time, the WFP is using Korean speakers and more monitors outside the capital.”

According to a variety of our in-country sources and news reports, we can confirm that the World Food Program (WFP) is having unprecedented access in North Korea.

Although the WFP has to let the North Korean government know about the monitoring plan on a weekly basis, the organization seems confident that the daily monitoring spot checks are meaningful and accurate.

This type of monitoring is important as the proposed plan from WFP is extremely large (and expensive) as it tries to reach 6.3 million people and will cost more than $500 million over the next year.