VZCZCXRO4921
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #1839/01 1821205
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011205Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4968
INFO RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1300
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2669
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 9344
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHRO/USMISSION UN ROME
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001839 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, EAP/K 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAGR EAID PREL CH KN
SUBJECT: WFP Scaling Back DPRK Operations 
 
Ref:  08 Beijing 3403, 08 Beijing 3552 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The WFP is scaling back its work 
in North Korea because of lower than expected donor 
support as well as new restrictions imposed by the 
North Korean government, according to World Food 
Program (WFP) North Korea Country Representative 
Torben Due.  The WFP is refocusing their efforts 
almost exclusively on young children, whose 
condition warrants particular concern.  While 
emphasizing the need for additional humanitarian 
support to address immediate problems, Due also 
opined that substantial progress on the structural 
problems underlying the food situation is impossible 
without comprehensive economic reform.  The WFP also 
noted difficulties obtaining data on China's and 
Russia's development assistance to North Korea. End 
Summary. 
 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Scaling Back Due to Lack of Funds and DPRK 
Restrictions 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a July 1 briefing for Beijing-based 
diplomats United Nations World Food Program (WFP) 
North Korea Country Representative Torben Due and 
Donor Coordination Officer Nanna Skau said the WFP 
is scaling back the September 2008 emergency 
operation to provide $504 million in aid to 6.2 
million North Koreans (See Ref) because of a lack of 
donor support as well as new restrictions imposed by 
the North Korean government.  The WFP has so far 
received 15 percent of projected donor support, and 
the lack of funding is currently Due's main concern. 
Due admitted that the international situation makes 
it difficult for donors to provide aid to North 
Korea, but said there is a clear case for 
humanitarian assistance.  Due said increased donor 
support is needed now since it takes four or five 
months for food to arrive and the WFP will run out 
of food in November. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Because of lower than expected donor 
contributions to the WFP emergency operation the 
DPRK government requested that WFP scale back its 
operations, according to Due.  The WFP agreed to 
reduce its activities to target 57 provinces (vice 
131 previously) and close three out of its original 
five sub-offices.  Staff has been reduced from 59 to 
18 international staff. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Because of the cutbacks the WFP is now 
targeting 2.4 million North Koreans in the 57 
counties, but even this level of aid depends on the 
availability of resources.  Currently WFP is feeding 
1.7 million people and may only be feeding 1.5 
million in the near future.  The WFP is distributing 
4,500 tons per month now, but much more is needed. 
With reduced capacity, the WFP operation currently 
is aimed primarily at young children and pregnant 
and lactating women. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Due and Skau said the WFP continues to 
insist on adequate monitoring and is usually able to 
achieve this in their existing program areas.  Due 
opined that the U.S. had been "very right" to insist 
on transparent monitoring conditions, which are 
standard worldwide.  He expressed frustration with 
the North Korean authorities for insisting that 
North Korea is a "special" country with "special 
rights." 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Observations on DPRK Conditions, Need for Reform 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Since he arrived in Pyongyang eight months 
ago Due said he has been struck by the level of 
malnutrition in the country.  He described the short 
and long-term impacts on child mortality as well as 
on long-term mental development and overall health. 
 
BEIJING 00001839  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Due said North Korea is now in the "lean season" 
leading up to the fall harvest so more and more 
children are being taken to hospitals and the food 
security situation is affecting everyday people.  He 
said he sees a "dark picture" for the most 
vulnerable members of North Korean society. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Due described the myriad problems in North 
Korea's agriculture sector and highlighted the 
absence of mechanization and a lack of fertilizer. 
Due said results of an FAO crop and food census will 
be available in October and a UNICEF survey in areas 
where it operates will be released in December. 
Together these reports will give a better picture of 
the overall situation and inform the likely course 
of future UN humanitarian assistance, according to 
Due. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Due also commented that addressing North 
Korea's food situation is broader than just feeding 
the WFP pipeline.  He highlighted the need for 
reform in the agricultural sector and North Korea's 
overall economic model.  He said that apart from a 
few small-scale experiments, there is no sign of 
impending reform of this sort in North Korea.  He 
said bilateral and multilateral assistance 
addressing the structural issues is more important 
in the long run, but the WFP is addressing the 
immediate humanitarian needs that also need to be 
addressed. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Assistance Levels from China and Russia Unknown 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Skau said the WFP office in Beijing has 
asked the Chinese government several times for 
information on its assistance to North Korea but has 
not received any response.  She said WFP tracks 
publicly available trade data but has no clear 
picture of China's assistance.  She said her 
impression is that China is not doing much outside 
of trade, and that the situation is similar with 
Russia. 
 
GOLDBERG