Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Fides Service) - “The humanitarian emergency in North Korea is not over. Results obtained thanks to international aid are threatened by persisting economic difficulties”: this is the appeal launched by Caritas Hong Kong in its latest detailed plan for humanitarian aid collection and distribution for North Korea for 2004-2005.
Caritas Hong Kong has assisted North Korea since the mid 1990s and was one of the first NGOs to start programmes in the North. Altogether it has supplied aid for a total 27 million US dollars.
For 2004-2005, for aid programmes to help North Korea, Caritas is looking for 2.3 million dollars to fight malnutrition, especially among the more vulnerable groups, supply medical care, and help support infant centres, orphanages and farming projects.
The report was drafted in the basis of a recent missione to North Korea by Kathi Zellweger, international cooperation directress of Caritas Hong Kong. Speaking with Fides Zellweger said “it is difficult to change gear from humanitarian assistance to real impulse for development. The rate of malnutrition is still high involving more than 6.5 million out of a population of 22 million and the average food ration is 200 to 360 grams of rice per day. Caritas - she said - will continue humanitarian aid support long term projects, promote the peace process and initiatives for reconciliation.”
Immediate assistance goes to help 8,000 children in need of special care looked after in 40 homes and also to support programmes to assist children with physical or mental disabilities.
In the health sector Caritas aims, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, to increase from 6 to 8 the hospitals to which it supplies equipment and medicine. In the field of farming Caritas supplies training and technical support to farm co-operatives and has also started collaborating with a textile factory in Pyongyang to provide clothing for poor children.
A priority for Caritas is technical training in collaboration with local semi-government associations contacted by Caritas to meet the needs of many people.
Caritas aims to guarantee food security especially for pregnant mothers, orphans, school children and old people. With its aid programmes Caritas plans to reach a total of 500,000 children in eastern coastal regions of north Korea where people are most in need.
Caritas continues to work with locally operating UN agencies and NGOs and also with the local authorities: it works closely with the government Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee which co-ordinates humanitarian operations. By means of three monthly missions and local operators Caritas guarantees that aid goes directly to the people or structures for whom it is destined.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 7/5/2004 lines 58 words 558)
