A. DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA 1. UPDATE 1.1 WFP on 12 February launched an urgent appeal for USD 41.6 million in emergency food aid for DPR Korea to assist 1,730,000 children and flood-affected adults - the most seriously affected by worsening food shortages - over a period of one year. The aim is to raise 100,000 metric tons of food, together with cash to cover operational costs. 1.2 Under this operation, WFP will provide nutritional support for 360,000 children under five years of age in order to compensate for the reduction of food provided by the State to nurseries and kindergartens. 1.3 In addition, emergency food-for-work activities will be assisted through the provision of rations to enable workers to participate in heavy physical work involving clearing of agricultural land and rehabilitation of rural infrastructure. Removal of sand, silt and debris deposited by floods on farming land will be undertaken. It is also proposed that vital rural infrastructure and access roads will be rehabilitated or repaired. To mitigate the effects of future floods, watershed management schemes will be supported in particularly vulnerable areas. It is estimated that some 250,000 collective farmers will receive WFP rations under the food-for-work component of the operation. 1.4 WFP and others have noted that the situation in the country has worsened with rations as low as 100 to 150 grams of cereal per person now received through the Public Distribution System. This corresponds to about one-quarter of basic nutritional requirements. 1.5 A joint FAO/WFP assessment mission in a report dated 6 December 1996 confirmed that DPR Korea approached 1997 in a far worse situation than 1996, and would depend heavily on large-scale international assistance. The mission recognized the most critical period to be from July 1997 onwards. More recent assessments have advanced that date to April or May. The mission noted that, because of the 1995 floods, food reserves had been virtually exhausted. It also observed that over half of the livestock had been culled to provide meat but also to reduce demand for feed grains. As this and other short-term coping mechanisms gradually were exhausted, the food shortages have become even more critical.