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| Food rationing in North Korea (Yonhap) |
The United Nations is seeking to raise $107 million in humanitarian aid for North Korea, where nearly half of the 25 million population are in need, the UN’s resident coordinator for Pyongyang said in a report released Monday.
According to the report titled “Provisional 2020 DPR Korea Needs and Priorities Overview,” the funding target for this year is lower than last year’s $120 million.
Last year, the UN managed to secure just 27 percent of the goal, or $32 million, amid international sanctions on the communist country. As a result, only 2.5 million of the 3.8 million people initially targeted for the assistance program received aid.
This year, the humanitarian assistance program aims to cover 5.5 million North Koreans, the report said.
The scheme will focus on improving undernutrition prevalent among children and pregnant women and fighting diseases such as tuberculosis that have affected about 10 million North Koreans.
The assistance is also set to bring clean drinking water, build health services infrastructure and improve agricultural practices.
The report said a new body called the Results Working Group will “monitor the implementation of the 2020 Needs and Priorities plan” to ensure humanitarian resources are distributed effectively.
The report asked the international community for their continued cooperation in its life-supporting project in North Korea.
By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)
