This report covers the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008.
Please refer to programme updates 1 and 2as well as the DPRK: Floods (MDRKP002), Final Report for additional information.
In brief
Programme purpose: The purpose of the International Federation programmes in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is to provide humanitarian services to more than eight million people in need of health services, safe water and sanitation systems, reduced exposure to natural disasters such as floods, landslides through increased disaster management systems and further development of the DPRK Red Cross institutional capacity in the DPRK.
Summary:
During 2008 the DPRK Red Cross was able to sustain services to vulnerable community people in the DPRK in health, water and sanitation and disaster management, with consistent support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the ten National Society partners. The National Society was recognized nationally and internationally for its new statutes and updated Strategy 2012 which were adopted in October 2008 during the national congress that takes place every four years. New policies within the areas of disaster management, health, volunteers, youth and gender were included in the improved strategy. DPRK Red Cross has now the legal and strategic foundation to further enhance and develop a strong national society. Some changes in the governance of the National Society took place with the appointment of a new Vice President, while the President of the DPRK Red Cross was re-elected and the Secretary General re-appointed by the new Governing Board.
Financial situation: The total 2008 budget is CHF 11,359,686 (USD 9.85 million or EUR 7.18 million), of which 100 per cent covered. Expenditure overall was 73 per cent. Generally, the programmes were well funded, with a much appreciated contribution from the Swedish Red Cross/Swedish Government later in the year. The programmes' funds were fully spent. Any variances in the financial statement are due to recoding of supplies upon arrival in DPRK during early 2009.
No. of people we help: The population in the Red Cross operational areas are estimated to be 8.25 million people, while the community-based first aid programme targets the entire population of DPRK (estimated around 23.5 million people). Final population data is to be confirmed late 2009 by UNFPA coordinated national census.
Our partners: Partners of the cooperation agreement strategy (CAS) are the Australian, British, Canadian, Danish, Finnish, German, Netherlands, Norwegian Spanish and Swedish Red Cross societies. The Red Cross Movement partners include the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and other partners include the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and other organizations and international representations in the DPRK.
The International Federation, on behalf of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Red Cross Society, would like to thank the above mentioned partners for their generous moral and financial support in addition to providing human resources to work in-country.