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WFP DPR Korea Country Brief, September 2019

Countries
DPRK
+ 1 more
Sources
WFP
Publication date
Origin
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In Numbers

US$ 16 million October 2019 – March 2020 Net Funding Requirements

584,800 people assisted in September 2019

1,905 mt of food distributed in September 2019

Operational Updates

• WFP nutrition programmes assisted 558,000 people, including 435,000 children in nurseries, kindergartens, hospitals, boarding schools, as well as 114,510 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and 8,030 tuberculosis (TB) patients. Every month, nutritional support is provided in the 60 most vulnerable counties across nine provinces.

• WFP assisted a further 26,860 beneficiaries who were involved in food assistance-for-assets programmes. Individual participants received household food rations for taking part in the construction of community assets, such as planting trees or building river embankments. Through these programmes, WFP distributed 539 mt of maize in September.

• WFP in DPR Korea received 1,000 mt of food commodities in September. During this period,
WFP continued to process commodities at 11 factories within DPR Korea to produce fortified blended foods for distribution. In September these included 872 mt of cereal milk blend, 594 mt of corn soya milk and 356 mt of biscuits that will be distributed in October. WFP is currently reviewing operational plans based on the findings of the rapid food security assessment conducted in April 2019. WFP has engaged with the Government and the donor community, urging donors to support humanitarian needs in DPR Korea; an estimated 300,000 mt of food is needed to support those most affected by ongoing food shortages.

• Tropical Cyclone Lingling made landfall on 7 September 2019, as a Category 1 tropical cyclone, inflicting heavy wind and rain damages on the provinces of North Hwanghae, South Hwanghae and South Hamgyong provinces. The early warning and preparedness measures, which have been widely employed by the government, have helped to save many lives and mitigate damage. However, the cyclone has caused five casualties, and damaged infrastructure and 46,204 hectares of arable land. In immediate response, WFP provided 5 mt of biscuits.