Nutrition Support for Children and Women and Strengthening Community Capacity to Reduce Disaster Risks

This operation has been modified as per budget revision 1 (see below)

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to be affected by chronic food insecurity and recurring natural disasters, which have resulted in protracted undernutrition.The humanitarian situation has improved slightly in recent years, but it remains fragile and the causes of vulnerability persist. International trade and investment are restricted under the United Nations Security Council sanctions.

Providing an adequate well-balanced diet for the population of 24.8 million is the central element of the country’s development strategy, but the diets of 18 million people – of whom 1.3 million are children under 5 – are insufficiently diverse and do not provide enough of the proteins and fats needed for healthy development.

The 2012 national nutrition survey showed that chronic malnutrition among children had fallen from 32.4 percent to 27.9 percent since 2009, but indicated a rapid increase in stunting among children under 3 years. Among children under 5 years, 28 percent suffer from chronic malnutrition and 4 percent from acute malnutrition; the lack of dietary diversity in the average household has not changed over the past five years.

The effects of natural hazards are exacerbated by deforestation and weak infrastructure; building community resilience through disaster preparedness, mitigation and response is a government priority, but a challenge.

WFP will continue to support the Government in addressing chronic and acute malnutrition among children and pregnant and lactating women, and helping men and women become more resilient to natural disasters in line with Sustainable Development Goal 2 and WFP’s Strategic Objective 2.

The operation supports the first strategic priority – food and nutrition security – of the United Nations Strategic Framework for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for 2017–2021.

A Letter of Understanding between the Government and WFP is expected to provide favourable operating conditions similar to those in place for protracted relief and recovery operation 200532.

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The first budget revision to the PRRO 200907 seeks to: increase other direct operational costs (ODOC) requirements by US$ 2,598,031; and increase indirect support costs (ISC) by US$ 181,862. This BR is in line with the original objectives of PRRO 200907 and intends to include one additional province which will bring the total number of provinces covered by WFP to nine.