This report covers the period of 01/01/06 to 31/12/07 of a two-year planning and appeal process.
In brief
Programme summary: In late 2005, the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) requested that international agencies shift humanitarian aid towards development programmes. The DPRK Red Cross launched in 2006 a stable and ambitious programme supported by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (The Federation) with a total budget of CHF 26 million. Within a three-year cooperation agreement strategy (CAS) with main Red Cross partners, the budget was fully funded and the programmes by and large implemented as planned. The programmes included an extensive health programme, and disaster management and organizational development activities. In addition, the Federation and the DPRK Red Cross successfully managed three major disaster response operations (two floods and a measles epidemic), which increased the Federation budget for the DPRK to a total of over CHF 30 million.
The health programme included an extensive drug distribution part, supporting 8.76 million people linked to more than 2,000 health institutions with basic drugs and equipment. An agreement was reached in late 2006 to gradually scale down the supply of drugs to the country, with the aim to halt Red Cross distribution by 2009. Other activities included 2,500 first aid posts and training, strengthening the capacity of the national society to handle health emergencies, HIV/AIDS and other forms of health promotion, training health professionals, the set up of a support system for blood donor recruitment and a large programme to improve the health of communities through water and sanitation projects.
The water and sanitation programme commenced an impact review of the first projects implement in the period 2000 - 2003. The review provided important learning, and showed a reasonably good outcome and some installations will be repaired, extended and upgraded in 2008. In total, the projects in 18 villages were completed and nine new projects have started. These preventive health projects provide the communities with a gravity-fed water system, waste water drainage and hygiene awareness training. Emergency water and sanitation equipment has been ordered and plans are underway to develop the capacity to quickly supply water and sanitation systems following a disaster.
The disaster management programme continued with the expansion of the community-based disaster preparedness (CBDP) programme to 50 communities. These communities were proven safe during the serious floods in 2007, which is an excellent indicator of the impact of the programme. The strength of the disaster programme was further tested and proven by the effectiveness of the assessment of the disasters in 2006 and 2007, and the speed with which trained volunteers and staff of the Red Cross at all levels were able to provide disaster response leadership and deliver relief goods from the emergency stock to the victims.
The activities to improve tree production in nurseries was delayed in 2006, but was brought back on schedule with the construction of three new greenhouses in 2007. More than five million seedlings were planted by Red Cross volunteers to renew forestation in the DPRK.
The adoption of the Red Cross Law for the DPRK by the supreme people's assembly (parliament) was a significant step in strengthening the legal position of the DPRK and the public recognition of the mandate of the national society. The strengthening of the communication department resulted in regular coverage of the Red Cross in the media. The unprecedented availability of pictures of the work of the national society, in particular during the relief operations, resulted in excellent Red Cross visibility during the flood operations.
All 15 provincial Red Cross training centres were upgraded and equipped in order to facilitate the training and improved management of volunteers. The national society re-established its definition of volunteering and re-registered all volunteers, adjusting its number of volunteers to 101,000. The total number of members is 1,014,000. In October 2006, the DPRK Red Cross produced a book on the 60 years' history of the national society, with the support of the Federation.
Financial situation:
MAA54001: The total 2006-2007 budget was CHF 29.9 million (USD 27.7 million or EUR 18.1 million) out of which 96 percent is covered. Overall expenditure against income for the period was 85 percent.
DPRK component only: Total 2006-2007 budget CHF 27.6 million (USD 24.6 million or EUR 16.7 million) out of which 98 percent covered. Overall expenditure against income for the period was 87 percent.
DPR Korea only | Appeal budget
2006-2007 | Total income | Expenditure
Jan 06 - Dec 07 | Coverage by
programme | Expenditure vs.
budget |
| Health and care | 22,331,446 | 22,700,795 | 20,373,660 | 102% | 91% |
| Disaster management | 3,839,237 | 3,036,690 | 2,584,052 | 79% | 67% |
| Organizational
development | 663,153 | 586,437 | 577,243 | 88% | 87% |
| Coordination &
implementation | 734,139 | 637,150 | 574,407 | 87% | 78% |
| Total | 27,567,975 | 26,961,072 | 24,109,362 | 98% | 87% |
Figure 1: Financial analysis of DPRK component of Appeal no.MAA54001
No. of people we help: More than 8.76 million people in five out of the 12 provinces in the DPRK continued to benefit from the community oriented programmes of the DPRK Red Cross with the support of the Federation. The largest component of the programme was the supply of essential drugs and basic instruments to primary health care clinics. Children between 0-14 years of age comprise 26.5 percent of the total target population and the ratio of men - women is 50.5: 49.5. Public data is uncommon and restricted in the DPRK and therefore the actual number of beneficiaries assisted by all the programmes cannot be ascertained.
Our partners: The DPRK Red Cross maintains regular contacts with over 20 government agencies, regional and local communities. The national society, the Federation and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) cooperate and coordinate their activities with all UN and other international organizations present in the DPRK. Ten national Red Cross societies have signed a three-year CAS with the DPRK Red Cross and are actively engaged in implementing it.
Contact information
For further information on this Appeal, contact:
- The DPRK Red Cross Society: Mr Min Byon Gwan (secretary-general); phone: +85-02-18111, extension 8048, fax: +85-02-381 4644
- Federation DPRK country delegation: Ms. Ewa Eriksson (head of delegation); email: ewa.eriksson@ifrc.org; phone: +85-02-381 4350, fax: +85-02-381 3490
- Federation regional office in China: Mr. Carl Naucler (head of East Asia regional office); email: carl.naucler@ifrc.org; phone: +86-10-6532 7162, fax: +86-10-6532 7166
- Federation zone in Kuala Lumpur: Mr. Jagan Chapagain (deputy head of zone); email: jagan.chapagain@ifrc.org; phone: +603-2161 0892; fax: +603-2161 1210
- Federation secretariat in Geneva: Ms. Sylvie Chevalley (DPRK CAS support); email: sylvie.chevalley@ifrc.org; phone: +41227304252; fax: +41.22.7330395