PRESS BRIEFING BY HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR DEMOCRATIC

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA

With the food and humanitarian situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea deteriorating rapidly, the World Food Programme (WFP) was cutting back its food assistance to cover just 3 million people out of 6 million in need, Masood Haider, Humanitarian Coordinator for that country, said at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.

Mr. Haider, recently returned from a trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, told correspondents that of the 6 million people on WFP's assistance list were 4 million children, while the rest comprised women, the elderly and other vulnerable persons.  By next year, the figure that the agency would be able to assist would have to be reduced further to 1.5 million in the absence of more donor commitments, he added.

Noting that some 4 million children were already malnourished, he expressed concern that there could be permanent damage to their growth unless there was steady food assistance.  The consequences of the current food supply shortfall would not immediately be apparent because the harvest was going on, even though the aid cutbacks had started in September and had grown progressively more severe.  By the spring, however, the consequences would be dire, he added.

Only one-twelfth of the needs for next year, or a month's supply, had been pledged so far, he said, noting that donors were concerned about the lack of adequate monitoring of access for humanitarian assistance, among other things.  Humanitarian workers in the country never had unimpeded access and the current political situation was another factor possibly holding up aid delivery.  Besides, donors were still waiting for the Government to fulfill its promise to provide a comprehensive list of aid beneficiaries, he added.

Mr. Haider said that the United States, the top donor this year with contributions amounting to 250,000 tons of food, had expressed concern about monitoring and was yet to make a pledge for next year.  The European Union and Italy were the only donors so far to have made pledges for next year.  Noting that the major donors had kept politics out of humanitarian assistance in the past, he hoped that would continue, pointing out that recipients of humanitarian assistance could not be held responsible for the political situation.

The humanitarian situation in the Democratic People's Republic of the Korea had shown a slight improvement just before the donor commitments had begun to wane, he said.  For instance, there had been a steady increase in food production and a decline in chronic malnutrition.  Similarly, the beginning of economic reform had been put in place and the Government had agreed to the installation of a satellite device to enhance communication in the humanitarian assistance delivery process.

Mr. Haider said that among other encouraging developments, had been the Government's approval of a medical evacuation programme, and the securing of humanitarian access to 163 of the country's 203 counties.  However, such progress could be jeopardized by the insufficiency of current donor

commitments, he added.

* *** *