Interview - World Vision Asia/Pacific VP on N. Korea Ultimatum

North Korea recently made a public call for all foreign humanitarian aid organisations to leave the country by the end of the year. Pyongyang’s announcement has caused discussion amongst NGOs, some having provided aid to North Korea over the past decade.

|PIC1|The Democratic Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name, has received aid relief for the past 10 years due to a food and health crisis from a drought in 1995 and 1997. There is no precise figure for the number of deaths resulting from the drought, but international organisations estimate more than two million people have died of hunger.

World Vision (WV), a Christian relief and development organisation, commented on the situation and its response to the recent declaration.

The following are excerpts taken from an interview by Christian Post with Lynn Arnold, the Asia/Pacific Regional Vice-President for World Vision International, via an email on Oct. 3:

What is World Vision’s response to the Democratic Republic of Korea’s declaration that all foreign NGOs must leave the country by the end of the year?

World Vision does not have staff who are resident in Pyong Yang and is not one of the 12 NGOs. However, every three or four months World Vision staff make regular trips into the country to engage with the authorities there and to visit some of the programs we are helping to fund. NGOs are still trying to work their way through the exact implications of the North Korean announcement. It is critically important to continue negotiating for programming work to continue in the North and to explore how that can happen and in what way.

One of the reasons North Korea officials gave regarding their announcement is because of improved conditions. Have the conditions improved and are NGOs no longer needed?

The North Korean government told the resident U.N. agencies and international NGOs in September last year that they had decided to change the policy regarding humanitarian aid from overseas. At the same time they told the U.N. to stop issuing appeals for relief aid via the Consolidated Appeals Process. Their explanation was that N. Korea had received humanitarian aid for nine years, which was too long when compared to other countries that had experienced similar hardship situations. N. Korea wanted to be treated as an “equal partner” and to collaborate with outside organisations by working on development projects and programs. Some of the agencies currently assisting North Korea have been adjusting their program in order to meet these new criteria. There is little doubt that N. Korea continues to face a number of development challenges but in working with N. Korea to address these, the language used, the method of assistance and the approach NGOs adopt must all come together to ensure that those who really need assistance and support continue to receive it. This is the current challenge.

How was World Vision able to help alleviate North Korea’s food crisis?

World Vision itself started providing humanitarian aid such as rice, oil and hospital equipment in 1995. Within a year or so WV started encouraging N. Korea to build local capacity to produce foodstuffs. In 1996, WV built one noodle factory for the North Koreans to run. This was expanded to six by 1997. World Vision supplied the factories with generators, machinery and flour. Up until the end of 2003 WV helped its partners in North Korea produce 60,000 meals a day from the six factories in four provinces. Those receiving the food were those who most stood to gain: children in orphanages and nurseries, pregnant and nursing women and the elderly. Alongside this, WV continued to ship foodstuffs and winter clothing.

In 1998 WV, in close consultation with its N. Korean partners, started working on agricultural development with the national Korea Academy of Agriculture Sciences on appropriate technology transfer and training. One example of this is that WV helped establish five greenhouses, equip laboratories and set up computer-assisted fertilisation and watering systems for the production of potato seeds. We have also been involved in partnering to transfer know-how and expertise to boost vegetable output and assist with cabbage, apple and radish seed production.

The seed potato project has been a particular success building project management capacity in-country. The confidence this gave, led to N. Korea launching a national “potato revolution” campaign with the aim of producing four million tons of potatoes per year.

During this time, what do you think is the most important thing for World Vision to do?

World Vision is committed to helping the poorest and most vulnerable so for us it is crucial that we stay engaged in North Korea, along with other NGOs, the UN and government agencies. A key principle of World Vision, wherever we work, is to partner with communities as equals and to build skills and capacity so that nationals themselves take responsibility for helping their country to develop and meet development challenges. In many countries this can be a challenge, but these must be met intelligently with patience, diligence and with the faith that things can improve.

Do you have any plans yet as to stay, withdraw, etc?

We plan to stay. We have been encouraged in our partnerships with our N. Korean co-workers and have seen results. Long-term relationships and results build trust and confidence and can create further openings to bring about change.

I have read comments by aid experts that South Korea has been supporting N. Korea. Do you think that this relationship has anything to do with the announcement that foreign NGOs should leave?

The support of S. Korea has been on-going from the beginning and has little to do with any change of policy from N. Korea. It is important to remember the very strong emotional bonds between both Koreas and this is because so many people still have brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers and other relatives on either side of the border. The politics of S. Korea in relation to the North are bound up in these feelings for family, and families always want their best for their loved ones. It would be too simplistic to say that South Korea is stepping in to fill any gap left by the possible departure of NGOs.

World Vision is an international organisation that began in 1950 caring for orphans in Asia. Although World Vision is still dedicated to helping children, it has extend its mission to community development and the poor worldwide, reaching out to people in six continents and nearly 100 countries. World Vision serves the world's poor regardless of a person's religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.






Michelle Vu
Christian Today Correspondent