Even in years of good harvest, much is lost due to poor storage. Copyright EU/ECHO
The European Union’s European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) directorate published its most recent Echo Factsheet for the DPRK in June 2016.
The Factsheet summarises the well-known humanitarian situation and needs of the vulnerable populations in the DPRK noting that chronic undernutrition remains a public health concern, which might create emergency humanitarian needs at any given moment.
Among the new challenges faced by aid organisations trying to address those needs are the consequence of the international sanctions adopted against DPRK. In early 2013, international bank transfers into the country were made more difficult to carry out, and this affects the functioning of humanitarian agencies.
The European Commission has been responding to humanitarian needs in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea since 1995, with total contributions amounting to € 135.3 million for over 130 projects, including:
- € 300 000 for disaster preparedness for 2016-2017
- € 200 000 in response to floods in August 2015
- € 72 000 for disaster preparedness for 2014-2015
- € 132 520 in response to floods in July-August 2013
EU assistance for civil protection and humanitarian aid amounts to one of the worlds largest contributions. Experts from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) regularly assess the situation in North Korea so that the most urgent humanitarian needs are met effectively and efficiently.
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