FLOOD DAMAGE REHABILITATION COMMITTEE
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
P.O. Box 44, Pyongyang Phone: 850-2-3817222
Telex: 5350KP/5351KP Fax: 850-2-3814660
To: Mr. Bernard Krisher
Fm: Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee
Re: Reply to the Fax
Dear Sir:
I believe that you passed the operation successfully and sincerely
hope you'll be recovered in a short time.
Following is the reply to your fax dated June 10, 1996.
-- Repair of Boilers:
Dr. Cha Gi Choi picked up the cash correctly on May 21, 1996 from
ING North-East Asia Bank in Pyongyang, to which you had remitted the cash
for the 2nd time for the repair of boilers of Huichon Hospital.
Therefore, including the one donated during your visit to our
country your cash donation reaches the total of $10,000 among which $9,500
have been used for repairing boilers and $500 have been used to purchase
foodstuff for the children patients of pediatrics in the Hospital.
--40,000 pounds of milk powder, 50 mtn of White Flower and
Medicines as well as their transportation.
I hereby clarify that we will receive the above mentioned donation
goods believing that the organization you introduced to us intends to
donate these goods in noble humanitarian wishes.
As to the transportation of these donation goods, there are
considerable number of our vessels that carry cargo at present, to and from
Japanese ports of Sibushi, Hamizi, Kajima, Toyoyashi, etc., therefore our
vessels may transport these donation goods from optional port among these
ports for donor's convenience, provided you have the donation goods been
transported up to the port that is accessible to our vessel.
In this case you are kindly requested to make the donor part cover
the port dues and shipping fees.
Major necessary medicines for the flood affected people and
children at present are assorted antibiotics, vitamins, cold medicines and
so on.
Once more I express my thanks to you for your humanitarian
assistance efforts for the flood damage rehabilitation of our country.
With best regards,
Jong Yun Hyong
Director of External Affairs
Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee
of the DPRK
June 15, 1996 Pyongyang
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DPRK GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR
INTERNET APPEAL TO QUESTIONS ON FAMINE SITUATION, DISTRIBUTION AND
DONATION POLICY
The following written response to our questions, presented during our rice distribution visit to Pyongyang this week, was given to us on March 12, the day of our departure. TEXT FOLLOWS The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Pyongyang, D.P.R.K Tel: 850-381-2-7222 Fax: 850-2-381-4660
Mr. Bernard Krisher Dear Mr. Krisher: We would like to thank you for your Internet Home Page on behalf of the flood victims and your most recent donation of 260 metric tons of rice collected through this campaign which you distributed directly to the civilian populations in Unpa, An ju and Huichon this past week. In answer to the questions you have posed, I would like to answer as follows: Question (1): We have recently read that you have stopped accepting international donations for the flood victims. But it is not clear if this is a unilateral decision or only directed against certain kinds of donations. Could you please clarify the situation? Answer: We are disappointed that our international appeal, to help victims of the severe floods which hit our country last fall and caused vast destruction of our crops, has been misused and politicized by some countries and people who wish use this calamity to their advantage. They have attached political or other self-interest conditions to such aid. Their campaign has been aimed at blocking donations, causing mistrust of our distribution system and creating a picture of instability in our s ociety. This is a slanderous campaign challenging our dignity. Therefore we are rejecting any aid associated with such a campaign including that from South Korean authorities some of whose sinister forces politicize the humanitarian aid because they wis h to place obstacles and hindrances in the way of donations. The South Korean authorities issued a study report stating North Korea had sufficient rice so there was no need to donate cereals. Because of this, other countries' organizations will not supply aid to us. We do not deny all aid. Aid based on pure humanitarian motives is continuing. We are also disappointed in organizations which pledged aid but have not provided it, donors who have requested unacceptable and humiliating conditions or demanded duplicated inspections which have already been satisfactorily conducted by appropri ate UN agencies and duly reported. We are also wary of those who have caused undue delays in providing the emergency aid they promised. We are a society dedicated to providing fair and equal care to our people. We spared no effort after the floods to reconstruct homes and provide the necessities they lost. We were able to achieve such reconstruction in a minimum period under our Juche philosophy and we are able to survive even the critical food shortage through Juche, if necessary. However we cannot deny that we face a very severe food shortage in the coming months, until this year's harvest, if a large amount of rice is not imported. Our need is only rice. Some countries and organizations, well meaning and otherwise, have decided to ignore this need and send us materials we do not require. We reject such aid. Consequently we have also decided to issue no new appeals. We will not refuse aid already promised or sincere and humanitarian future aid from countries or organizations which have not stipulated conditions or politicized their aid. We are grateful to those who sincerely wish to aid us in this respect. Question (2): There have been media reports that international donations designated to the flood victims may have been distributed to the military. Can you comment on this? Answer: It is slanderous to imply that the international and private donations to our flood victims have been distributed to the military. Such statements are groundless. Those donations will not be, cannot be and are not given to the military. They are all provided without exception to the civilian population. Such international organizations as the WFP, UNDP and UNICEF have all monitored the distribution system of rice and are satisfied such donations have been properly distributed. Question (3): As rice is the only commodity you require, what is the best procedure for private organizations to help the flood victims? Answer: There are several ways-- (a) Donors may transfer cash by bank transfer to The Flood and Rehabilitation Committee and may contact us directly by fax to learn the means of transferring such funds to us. Donors will receive full written documentation and photos of their donations' distribution. They can discuss the details of such donations by sending us a fax and we will respond. (b) Donors may also purchase rice directly and ship it to one of our ports consigned to our committee. When it arrives and again when it is distributed we will provide a full accounting and documentation to the donors. We can also refer potential donors of rice to several firms, located in Europe, which will provide such rice (35 percent/broken) at $250 per metric ton including transportation to Nampo port. Donors may then negotiate with these firms directly. (c) Donations may also be made through the World Food Program or other private organizations with whom we are in close and regular contact s uch your Internet Campaign and others. The best way to deliver actual cereal donations is through the World Food Program as they are expert in this field. The most important donation now is cereals but other assistance is also still acceptable if it is not attached to any sinister political conditions. Question (4) Can you provide me with the current food situation? Is there a famine as has been reported or severe cases of malnutrition? Answer: No one can deny that the destruction of our stored rice and lost crop in our farm belt has resulted in severe belt tightening among our populations. We do face a growing food shortage as the statistics disseminated by the FAO and WFP in dicate. Their independent February report states "The U.N. WFP/FAO mission found that production, imports and already committed food aid would only cover 4.8 million tons of rice, leaving a shortfall of some 1.2 million tons to feed a quarter of North K orea's 22 million people devastated by the flood." Sincerely yours,
Li Jong Hua
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Pyongyang January 6, 1996
Dear Mr. Krisher,
Acknowledging the receipt of your letter of December 25, I wish to express my gratitude for your continuous active efforts to arrange the donations with respect to our flood damage.
I inform you as follows in connection with the matters raised in your letter.
We find it possible that you would come to our country together with your daughter when the next donations arrive in our country, attend and photograph the distribution of donations in the flood damaged areas of which you visited during your last trip, and send some donations through "Mangyongbong" ship.
However, it is our regret to inform you that we cannot get the approval of our organizations concerned regarding your visit to our country on that ship because Wonsan port is not a boundary passage spot of foreigners an furthermore, it cannot be used in the light of still aggravating situation.
Out of 600 kgs of powdered milk that you left behind during your last visit, we have provided 100 kgs respectively to the nurseries of Samyangri, Pakchon County and Chosanri, Chongju County of North Pyongan Province, and of yongwhari, Sinpyong County and Kaesamri, Singye County of North Hwanhae Province, and to the kindergarten of Ichon County and nursery of Hawoiri, Pyongsan County of Kangwon Province; and the 700 pairs of shoes were distributed respectively from 100 to 150 pairs to Maengjungri, Pakchon County and Kaesanri, Chongju County of North Pyongan Province, to Ichon County Seat of Kangwon Province, and Chupori, Pyongsan County and Haepori, Singye County, and Yudongri, Sinpyong County of North Hwanghae Province.
With regard to the matter of food in the flood damaged areas which focussed your concern, an additional urgent measure is needed to be taken under such a situation that we find it difficult to continue our food supply for the period after this winter because of the absolute lack of rice stock, although now it is kept placed in an appropriate level by the current government measure.
I wish you and your family good health, great happiness and success in your work in the new year.
Faithfully yours,
Pak Song Gyun The Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee D.P.R. of Korea
September 26, 1995 (Input to Web Oct. 7)
September 26, 1995
Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee Democratic People's Republic of Korea Pyongyang, DPRK
Fax: 850-2-381-4660
Dear Sirs & Madam:
I am pleased to inform you that the Internet page to seek support for the flood relief victims is receiving some publicity. Kyodo News Agency sent out a story in English and Japanese. CNN ran the Internet address for the page on its major news broadcasts last night, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times, North Carolina News & Observer and the International Herald Tribune mentioned it in stories on 9/22, and AFP sent out a story on 9/25. The Financial Times is expected to run a story in its Monday edition. Several Japanese newspapers, including The Tokyo Shimbun and Kanagawa Shimbun ran stories.
Meanwhile, I am organizing in parallel a winter clothing collection campaign here in Tokyo and have also contacted the Italian clothing chain, Benetton, in Italy, to try to persuade them to organize such a collection campaign throughout Europe and sponsor a train delivery originating in Paris to Moscow, Khabarovsk, Shenyang and Sinuiji. If they do not go along with my proposal, I will try some other potential sponsors in Europe. I will keep you informed.
I cannot guarantee anything but am aiming to set a goal of $1 million in cash or goods in kind donations to purchase drugs and blankets.
We are also getting other networks within the Internet to incorporate the page into their systems so we should have a very wide audience within a week. The beginning is slow but I believe it will pick up.
On the Internet "home page" we have allotted a section which will be titled "Letters from Pyongyang" where we will carry your messages to us and any KCNA or other stories you may wish to forward. I suggest you write us often, and provide us with news of the flood victims as it will be a channel for the international media and charitable organizations desirous of helping you to access and read news about the ongoing situation.
If the clothing drive in Japan brings in substantial donations I would like to request your cooperation in helping us in the following way:
Could you arrange a contact for me at the Assn. of Korean Residents in Japan who could help us with transportation of such donations from Tokyo to Niigata and allow these donations to travel separately on the ship from those collected by your Korean community here. It would be effective in successfully organizing a continuing collection if our donations could then be put together on the ship which goes from Niigata to Wonson and for one or two representatives of my group (myself or a member of the Krisher family) to accompany the shipment and hand it over to you and/or UN representatives in Wonson or Pyongyang and obtain a receipt. It would be even more effective for the success of this campaign if a member of our group or myself could visit one of the afflicted areas and participate in the distribution. I realize this may be unprecedented but this is the way relief activities usually are conducted in other countries hit by a disaster. They include representatives of the donor organization and it is a most effective way to encourage people overseas to continue their support. Donors like to be involved, they like to witness what their good will is accomplishing and they often lose interest when they don't exactly know or see what is happening to their donations.
It is also very effective to personalize the situation. In the case of Kobe, international support was so great, even though Japan could have managed to support the crisis itself, because the media personalized the victims, describing individual cases of loss and suffering, the effect on families, children, etc. Again, I know this is not the way you do things, but a profile on a family or the child depicted in the photo we are running on our Home page (the little boy standing in front of his destroyed home), can effectively get people to respond. What is his name. Can we learn something about his family. What their life was like before and what is it like now.
I do not wish to press my ideas on you as you have your own policy and customs but I just wish to suggest how other campaigns have worked in other countries when such a disaster hit.
Apart from the plan to try to deliver warm winter clothing collected in Japan through Niigata and Wonson, we are also studying the route through the train from Beijing and I am contacting the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo for their cooperation should contributions be delivered on this route.
I look forward to your further communications and information which we will readily place on the Internet page.
I extend my warmest wishes to all the flood victims and pray for their comfort and good health.
Sincerely yours,
Bernard Krisher Chairman
RESPONSE FROM DPRK FLOOD DAMAGE REHABILITATION COMMITTEE
October 4, 1995
From: Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea acknowledges the receipt of your fax of September 26 and thanks you deeply once again for your committed campaign for international relief assistance and information activities, setting a goal of $1 million relief donations for the flood damage in our country.
We would like to assure you that the issues you have raised in your fax with regard to the transport to our country of the forthcoming donations will be positively considered and resolved as you requested as soon as possible, and in particular we will readily agree to your visit to our country coming with the relief supplies to hand them over to us.
It will be necessary for us to exchange further communications as regards the relief supplies transport and your personal visit to our country.
We wish to remind you of our significant loss of grains due to the hail damage last year and again the recent flood damage, and would like you to put into consideration our suggestion that it would be preferable for you to give priority to food assistance in your donations collection campaign.
As for your request to provide you with any information about the child in the home page photo, we cannot met your needs to our regard, since the photo we got from your fax is hardly discernible.
In the meantime, we want to take this opportunity to send you information on the present status of the international relief assistance for the flood damage in the DPRK for your release through your INTERNET
(Begin)
1. A two-member team of the Medecins Sans Frontiers" (MSF) visited Pyongyang from September 23 to 26, 1995.
During the visit, an agreement was reached between the Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the MSF on the MSF provision of medical services to the flood affected people of Pakchon, Huichon and Unpa Counties. According to the agreement, a MSF medical team is due to be in the DPRK by next week with all its committed medical supplies worth USD 1,000,000.
2. The DPRK Government has agreed to the visit to the DPRK by a three-member delegation of the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs (UNDHA) and requested the UNDHA, through the UN Resident Coordinator, to forward at the earliest possible particulars required for procedural arrangement for issuing visas including curriculum vitae and specific duration of their stay in the country.
3. Relief supplies from the Russian Government (20 tons of rice, 3,000 blankets and 1.5 tons of medicine) arrived in Pyongyang on September 28, 1995.
4. Updated Contribution (not reported to the UNDHA)
Governments:
a) Germany USD 100,000
b) Pakistan USD 160,000
c) Finland USD 100,000
d) Sweden USD 110,000
e) Iran USD 100,000
f) India USD 100,000
g) Malaysia USD 25,000
h) Belgium USD 7,300
UN Organizations:
UNICEF USD 300,000
Red Cross Societies:
a) China USD 36,000
b) Norway USD 33,000
c) Austria USD 23,000
d) Iceland USD 3,100
e) Finland USD 45,000
f) Denmark USD 55,000
g) Slovakia USD 1,300
h) Sweden USD 280,000
NGOs:
a) Catholic Relief Services, Regional Office
USD 500,000
b) World Council of Churches USD 100,000
c) Suma-Chenghai Society of Cambodia USD 200,000
d) Assn. of Medical Doctors for Asia USD 70,000
e) ADRA (US) USD 760,000
f) American Aid USD 240,000
g) National Council of Churches of the Christ (US)
USD 100,000
h) International Vision USD 500,000
(End) The Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea sincerely wishes you great success in your humanitarian work.
Best regards,
Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee Democratic People's Republic of Korea
MESSAGE FROM THE UNDP REPRESENTATIVE in PYONGYANG to CHIEF OF THE RELIEF COORDINATION BRANCH, DHA, GENEVA
30 September 1995
To: Mr. Robert Souria
Chief, Relief Coordination Branch
DHA, Geneva
Fax: 41-22-9170023
From: G. Faruq Achikzad
Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator United Nations Development Programme
Pyongyang, DPR Korea
Subject: DPRK Emergency Relief
Text: Mr. Bernard Krisher, a former Newsweek correspondent in Tokyo, now involved in Asian relief projects, has contacted me offering to help publicize our flood relief efforts through the worldwide INTERNET. He has also interviewed me over the telephone on the situation and our efforts. He could be of immense assistance considering the world-wide coverage which could be gained through INTERNET. In this respect you may wish to contact him directly on fax no. 81-3-3486-6789 (or: Internet address: bernie@media.mit.edu). We are providing him with a copy of our local flood emergency update, which we are circulating locally to embassies, etc. Regards.
Telephone Conversation Between Bernard Krisher and G. Faruq Achikzad, the United Nations Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator
in Pyongyang on September 28, 1995
(Transcription courtesy of Maureen McLaughlin, Hotel Okura)
TEXT:
Krisher: Hello, may I speak to Mr. Faruq Achikzad please?
Achikzad: Speaking.
K: Hello. This is Bernard Krisher calling from Tokyo. I've been in touch with the flood committee in Pyongyang and we have placed an appeal on the Internet. We're getting quite a response. I wanted to get a little more information from you and maybe put some of it on the Internet as well. Could you tell me what sort of donations are coming in and what's happening in the area?
A: Yes, well I don't have all the information we need here but I can tell you roughly that through the UN appeal there is quite a bit, many countries who are giving donations. I can give you a rough idea but if you would put it on the Internet it would be a little bit more specific. I will fax you a press release with more detailed information.
... All right, there is as I said through the UN appeal the UNDP and the DHA, the Department of Humanitarian Aid, we are getting a response from various governments - the governments of Italy and Luxembourg, the Swiss government... They are all contributing one way or another. Now, they are giving construction material, blankets and so on, they are coming in one airplane, for which we pay for the fuel. It goes from Italy to Berlin and their (North Korean) plane will carry it from Berlin to Pyongyang. We will pay for the fuel. A complete load of all sorts of materials including blankets and pots and pans and so on are coming.
K: How much is the fuel cost from Berlin to Pyongyang?
A: $30,000.
K: Is it worth it to send heavy blankets and clothes by plane?
A: Well there are some construction materials which are being donated so they are coming from these countries in kind so the only thing is (the fuel transport) cost $30,000 (donated) from the same city. I think it's worth it because these people don't have anything.
K: Are they sending along technicians or just the materials?
A: We have three people from the Swiss government for logistics and distribution and monitoring and so forth. There will be $250,000 dollars from the regular budget of UNICEF which we diverted to the flood, $150,000 dollars... for family planning, medicine for ladies, or pregnancies and other things, and then various governments -- $74,000 from the British government, given to the DHA so it's under my control and I can buy anything which the people need here ... and I am even buying here locally now. There are companies here who make pots and pans and if we give them money they can make them within a week. So we are buying locally as well. It is very few but we want to get it as soon as possible. You have to do things right away, and then there is $60,000 (worth of rice) from Thailand.
K: How will you bring it in from Thailand?
A: Sea would take a long time so probably by air. The Russians brought the first plane ever here. It would be 20 tons of rice, 3, 000 blankets, one and a half tons of medicine--antibiotics.
K: Did this come from the Russians or the Koreans who live in Russia?
A: The Russians, it was from Moscow.
K: Tell me, what about the distribution? Do you control it?
A: The government has abided by our rules. They have a very good system actually. They have the names of the people in all the villages. We apply (to visit the villages and make the distributions ourselves) and we go and get there within a few hours; things will go like that. It's a very good system.
K: Do you see any corruption or diversion of donations?
A: No, no, no, you don't see any corruption. I have not seen corruption.
K: And the foreigners are considered friends within those villages? They don't mind having foreigners on the scene?
A: It's the first time ever, that the UN and the UNDP representatives have been in such villages, distributing donations. By my hands I give to the people. This is the first time this has happened ever, in 50 years.
K: So they have changed their policy? Is that right?
A: Oh I think so, because they need assistance and they will abide by the rules, of course they have to think of their own country too but I didn't see any friction.
K: Are they letting other foreign groups in?
A: Yes they're allowing Medecins sans Frontieres and a representative team in on Sunday and they are bringing in two planeloads of things including vehicles, medicine and all sorts of kits. There will be 12 people from Medecins sans Frontieres. They are already opening their. They will go in three stations and will be bringing people in from The Netherlands, from Belgium and France. The three teams of these nationalities will be in the villages.
K: And the doctors will be attending North Korean patients?
A: Yes the doctors and others. But it will be three teams of three people, a total of nine. Then there will logistics comprising of two or three other people. We are coordinating ... and they are all coming to me. I will give them the information they need, anything they want, because we want to help the government...
K: Are there any Americans there?
A: No, no, no. There are no Americans at this time... You know Washington Post in Tokyo interviewed me. Probably you saw that.
K: Yes. I asked someone to give them your phone number.
A: Yes, thank you. It was very good to appear in the Washington Post. It had a good effect in the House and the Senate. The most important thing is we are the only international organization with no strings attached. We are very neutral and I think it's good that the people in Washington, in the House, Jesse Helms and all these people will hear we are doing the best to help here and with neutrality. There is no right wing or left wing.
K: How much do you know about the Internet project? Our Home page and appendixes?
A: The only thing I saw about the Internet was the news over CNN. It was also in Washington Post, and people from New York informed be about it. (The North Koreans) have not mentioned it but I showed them a copy of the Washington Post article and they appreciated it.
K: I'd like to invite you to send us your news and comments and we will add them to our Internet page. In addition to that I'd like something personal for the Internet audience signed by you. Whenever you send me something we'll just add it. Can you send me photos you took of the flood damage or of people in the villages which you took with your camera. We will put them on the Home page. I received a message just now from somebody in South Korea and he's appreciating what we're doing in helping the flood victims. I think the Internet has quite some power.
A: OK, Very good, excellent. I will send you the photos I took.
K: Which is the area are you focusing on? Sinuiji?
A: Yes.
K: How do you get there? By train?
A: By train it's four hours; by car it's six hours.
K: And when you go from Pyongyang to Sinuiji can you see the flooded areas form the train?
A: You can see some but in the car you see more. Of course through the helicopters it is much more complete.
K: What are the major problems now, the flood is over; is it lack of food and clothing and...
A: It is all of them on top of the structure problems that exist. It's the chronic problems plus these few things. All together so it's a little bit more dramatic.
K: What about the spread of illness, diarrhea, measles?
A: There is no cholera, definitely, because the government told me clearly that if there was, it would ask for our assistance. There are certain cases of diarrhea and respiratory problems. These are the things that they want medicine for so WHO is taking care of them.
K: Where are those drugs kept, in the local clinic?
A: Yes, local clinics exactly.
K: And those clinics were saved? They were not flooded?
A: Some of them were flooded and some not. They have discipline and a system. They don't have much in these clinics but whatever they have is clean and nicely put in order.
K: What about the children? Are they being fed now?
A: The ones that I saw were okay but the [ones that the] UNICEF people saw, they said that if they continued for nine months like that, then it really would become very bad because the malnutrition is quite serious.
K: Besides rice what sort of food do you need?
A: UNICEF is bringing in powdered milk; it should arrive any minute any day. Soy milk, also Medecins sans Frontieres is bringing in nutritious foods because BB2 (chk?) or some others, it is a nutritious food for children and others too.
K: What would you ask people, for instance, I'm going to try to make an appeal in Europe which is very far away.
A: Powdered milk is very good. Powdered milk for children. Really that is fantastic if we can get powdered milk for children. The children here are all having some sort of milk which is a Soya milk but if we can get powdered milk it would be very good.
K: What do you think is the best transportation route? If we sent clothes from Niigata to Wonson by ship?
A: They prefer Nampo. Wonson is fine, too. But they prefer Nampo for some reason.
K: Does the ship from Japan go to Nampo too?
A: Only to Wonson. Wonson is just a hop from the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Korea or whatever you call it.
K: What do you think of the train? I'm trying to get, if it works, a train where things such as warm winter clothes, blankets and daily necessities would be collected in various European cities, accumulate in Paris and move with passengers as guards via Moscow, Khabarovsk, Shenyang, Dandong and then cross the Yalu River bridge to Sinuiji the center of much of the flood disaster. The distribution the could be made right on the spot to the people most seriously affected.
A: Yes. But Moscow is one week from here by train, all through Siberia.
K: But it would be dramatic and could excite the public's imagination and involvement. The passengers taking the goods could communicate with us from time to time at strategic stops through the Internet. Those trains could also hold a lot of boxes of clothes. Much more than a plane. If volunteer passengers accompany the goods it would be dramatic and you could put a lot on those trains.
A: Exactly that would be good too, yes?
K: Has anyone done it and do you think it is safe and would work?
A: No, no one has tried it. You would be the first to do that.
K: Will it work?
A: Yes, yes, yes.
K: I sent a fax to Benetton in Italy a few days ago (see text elsewhere) and I asked them to sponsor this. They are a first rate and imaginative and very humanitarian company. Young people feel good wearing their clothes and they respect their president because is a very creative and courageous man. I felt they would be the kind of company which would help us. I haven't gotten an answer yet but I am confident they will reply in due course and help us in some way. They collected clothing a few years ago for the poor so this would not be a precedent.
A: Okay.
K: If the people arrived on that train would they be able to distribute the donations or would they have to had it over to officials?
A: One has to have permission first of course.
K: But the spirit of it would lead me to believe that there is a kind of give and take now. A: Yes, but you have to get permission for people who come in. Without such permission goods may be held up while procedures for security, clearance and all that take place. But in this case they will probably clear it fast.
K: When does the real winter cold set in?
A: This year , it is now getting chilly. The real cold, if it continues like this, will probably hit at the end of November. That is really the coldest time.
K: So you're talking about half a million homeless people who need warm winter clothing and food to survive the harsh winter?
A: Well this is what the government says. We've never challenged it. I don't think it's half a million but, the important thing is if you can feed anybody it's always welcome for more than half a million. I have told (UN agencies) do not challenge them; if you can help that is all right, but to challenge the government (on figures) is useless.
K: Which agency are you working with in North Korea, the flood committee?
A: With the person who is called the Chef du Cabinet of the Prime Minister, who is in charge of the flood. He is more than a minister, a super minister.
K: What is his name?
A: Kim Chang Sik (sp?) He's a very nice man. He has a good sense of humor. He asked me to have dinner with him. He is very nice. He is 58 years old to be exact because he asked my age and I said 59 and he said "one year you are older than me." He jokes, he has a sense of humor. But of course when you are high you can do that.
K: Do you travel a lot to the flooded areas?
A: Well I can go but I have no intention to go. I will send my people down. What I have done here is I have broken the ice. So now anybody can go.
K: How many people do you have working for you?
A: For the time being I have three people on my committee. Soon we will be 6, 7 people.
K: Again concretely, what do you need? Blankets, what kind of drugs, what is the target for cash donations?
A: I would appeal $15 million.
K: Do you think you need that much?
A: Yes, there are lots of structural problems. Because of the structural needs, it would make things worse; winter comes and so on. I don't think we will get that but we will get close to it.
K: Some countries like Japan have only given half million dollars and the U.S. just $25,000 .
A: But other countries are giving too. You will see quite a bit.
K: And is private funding coming in?
A: Foundations, like the Sasakawa Foundation have offered a large sum, I understand.
K: They pledged $3 million but the Japanese Transportation Ministry, which has the last word, hasn't approved the screening commission's sum yet.
A: Well they already gave to us $19,000. But you'll see I think we'll get close to that. Everyday, things are coming.
K: Well I will put this interview on the Internet because that's the way everybody can sort out all the information. Do you have any way of accessing the Internet in North Korea?
A: We could get on the Internet through New York but we have a kind of problem now. I can go to the Internet myself and we get windows through New York. We can access but it's only a matter of somebody knowing how to do it because I have tried myself and we couldn't get it, but we have to get it this week or next week.
K: I don't think you can the World Wide Web and if you have e-mail it must be through voice phone lines which are very expensive.
A: We have, it's called Higgins, an e-mail system.. Through Higgins we get to the New York window.
K: But the phone lines must be through China?
A: Through New York. Direct access to NY.
K: But that's very expensive, 3-5 dollars a minute.
A: Yes.
K: It's not a packet service.
A: But to access you call at a certain time to load and unload, and it is expensive. Yet it is much better than if we call directly or fax directly.
K: Be sure to ship me some of your photos. Send it by airmail or TNT. You have a TNT service in Pyongyang?
A: Yes, but it's very slow. Now I am sending something to Australia and it takes more than a week.
K: It was good talking to you. Send us some e-mail and photos and let's keep in touch.
A: Okay-doke. Bye-bye.
UNDP Flood Emergency Update, 29 September 1995
Relief Activities Stepped Up
Message from the Office of the Resident Representative
and UN Resident Coordinator
Pyongyang, DPR Korea
The UNDP resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. G. Faruq Achikzad mingled with Korean flood victims at Sundan Ri in the outskirts of Sinuiju, handing out the first consignment of relief supplies purchased through immediate UNDP/DHA Emergency Funds. More than 5,000 blankets and some 1,050 kitchen utensils were distributed.
Other relief items procured from China and Thailand--rice, clothing (including quilts and blankets) will comprise the next consignment, whilst the purchase of certain other relief commodities from local sources is also being pursued.
Meanwhile five health kits provided by WHO arrived in Pyongyang on 20 September. Each kit contains sufficient medicines capable of catering for the needs of 10,000 people for a period of three months. In addition a further 2,142 kg medicines are waiting to be airlifted to DPR Korea. Furthermore the Government has agreed to: (a) the re-programming of US$250,000 from the UNICEF 1995 Country budget towards emergency relief; and (b) 1 WFP and 1 UNICEF-funded officers and 3 Swiss experts t be based in Pyongyang for an initial period of three months.
Recent contributions are as follows:
United Nations Fund for Population US$150,000
Australia US$75,188
Japan US$500,000
Luxembourg Provision of Relief Goods
Russia Airlift of 20 tons rice,
3,000 blankets and medicines
Switzerland US$2,895,885
Italy Provision of Relief Goods
United Kingdom US$76,923
CARITAS Hong Kong US$500,000
The response and support from the international community resident in Pyongyang to an appeal launched by Mrs. Zarlasht Achikzad proved to be very generous. Mrs. Achikzad and representatives of some Embassies who made contributions, presented relief items such as food, clothing, quilts, kitchen utensils, rice and flour to the Government on 22 September 1995. Donations were received from the following:
Embassies of Indonesia, Russia, Poland, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Cuba, Egypt, Yemen, Hungary and Romania, Brig. Gen. Raafat and Mrs. Rashad, Mr. Ludo Drijbooms, UN Volunteers and international staff members of UNDP.
*******
Mail: P.O. Box 27
Telephone: 381-7566, 3817567
Cable address: UNDEVPRO PYONGYANG
Telex: 35029 UNDP KP
Fax: 850-2-3817603, 872-150-7451 (Satellite)