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In the summer of 1995, a storm and flood
swept through DPRK and endangered many people. For the first time in its history, DPRK officially requested foreign assistance from
international community. In respond to the
request, World Vision sent 100 tons of flour
to the flood victims in North Hwanghae as
well as all additional assistance such as all kinds of medicine, clothes, seeds and food.
Sixty bulls are sent to a ranch in Mt. Bultasan,
South Hwang Hae Province
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World Vision's first visit to Kaechun City Hospital was made in August 1998. World Vision was looking for a project that was entirely child-focused and asked the local officials if a visit can
be made to the hospital. The county vice-chairman was pleased to show it to a visiting World Vision staff. The existing hospital was built shortly after the Korean War for a population of
120,000; most of its equipment was from the 1950s. The new hospital - begun in 1988, but
stopped shortly thereafter due to a shortage of building materials - would serve over 300,000 people in urban and rural areas within a 40km radius. The seven-story, 500-bed hospital was open and patients were assisted in the very basic facilities. World Vision is aiming to link the project with other work that we are doing in a region. One such step has been to deliver flour
to the hospital when it is delivered to noodle factories.
In an effort to build confidence and credibility with the hospital and local authorities, much-
needed medicines and supplies were donated to the hospital several times during 1999.
The first shipment arrived in June and included a range of widely used medicines and
vitamins, along with sheet, blankets, wheelchairs, stethoscopes, syringes and cloth for
sheets and hospital gowns. -
The second shipment included surgical
gloves, hospital linens and surgical kits.
Dr. Che confirmed how useful the items were that had been sent. In November 2000,
Dr. Nergui, WV health specialist, visited the North Korea for an assessment of the health situation in the country and another assessment trip by Dr. Nergui was undertaken in
July 2001.
Medical supplies and blankets provided by
World Vision to Kaechun City Hospital, North Korea
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This project is the World Vision's response to the food security crisis in North Korea through
increased food production capacity. The project is assisting six cooperative farms located in
three provinces(South Pyongan, South Hamhung and Pyongyang Administrative District) with 25,537 beneficiaries from a farming area of 8,336 hectares.
The project goal is over two years to help farmers on the six cooperative farms produce more
food for their families and off-farm population through 1)strategic intervention such as
provision of critical inputs, improved seeds and improved cropping patterns; 2)supporting
research efforts to improve seed varieties and farming technology; and 3)capacity building.
In FY 2000, assistance included provision of production inputs(fertilizer, plastic sheeting for
seedbeds, backpack sprayers, tractor tires and irrigation equipment); introducing new crops; and supporting winter and spring double cropping. -
Word Vision-supported cooperative farm in
Chang Suh-ri, South Ham Gyong Province
Word Vision-supported Eun Sung cooperative
farm in South Pyong An Province
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South Koreans built a consensus to relieve the suffering of North Korean children and senior citizens from serious food shortage and hunger in the form of humanitarian assistance.
A South Korean NGO, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD) and a major
broadcasting company, SBS raised fund to help North Korean children. As a result,
1,860 tons of rice and 790 tons of flour were sent to North Korea from August 2003 and May 2005.
In regard to this movement, National Economic Cooperation Federation of North Korea and
PSPD and World Vision of South Korea made an agreement to send 2,000 - 3,000 tons of rice to North Korea in July 2003. The north held a signing ceremony with PSPD and SBS and
allowed Korean media to publicly broadcast the process of distributing rice.
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Just two days after the explosion occurred at Ryongchon station in North Korea in April 20,
2004, National Economic Cooperation Federation of North Korea sent a request for
emergency relief to World Vision Korea. -
In response to the call, World Vision rapidly
sent a relief team to a makeshift emergency affairs office in Dandong, China. On April 27, the team sent 5,000 blankets to the scene of the accident and additionally sent bread and water donated by Song Hak Food, which had been consistently engaged in supporting North Korea. In addition, World Vision’s
goodwill ambassadors, Hye Ja Kim donated the royalty of her book to send necessities to North Korean children.
A truck carrying 5,000 blankets, the first relief
supply for Ryongchon incident is crossing a bridge
between China and North Korea in 2004.
