Welthungerhilfe: Working in a difficult environment
For nearly 20 years, the German aid group, Welthungerhilfe, has been providing the much-needed relief to the poverty-stricken people in North Korea. But working in the North is no easy task, and it is also full of risks.
A long commitment
As Welthungerhilfe resumed its work in 1997, its first task was to provide emergency relief to the impoverished North Koreans - distribute food, clothing and fuel. Pyongyang had isolated itself from the rest of the world, and its denizens were in dire need of aid. Welthungerhilfe has since carried out around 70 projects in the communist country, many of which are in the agricultural sector.
Difficult conditions
"Only 20 percent of the land in North Korea is arable," Gerhard Uhrmacher of Welthungerhilfe North Korea told DW. Most parts of the East Asian country are mountainous, and Uhrmacher believes that if the remaining agricultural land is not optimally utilized, it will create more problems. The annual crops are not sufficient to feed the nearly 25 million North Koreans.
Setting up greenhouses
The German aid group has been active in five North Korean provinces. One of its major projects was the construction of greenhouse complexes in the outskirts of urban areas such as the capital Pyongyang. This project was aimed at improving the production and quality of crops.
Improving the income
For the citizens of this impoverished communist state, the most important thing is to earn a modest living. Welthungerhilfe's pasta-making machine, for example, is helping people improve their income.
Growing vegetables
Welthungerhilfe has built around 700 greenhouses of various sizes and for different uses in many parts of the country. These greenhouses are built in small houses that are shared by up to two families, and also in 400-square meter buildings. People grow winter tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants in these places.
Bearing fruits
The climatic conditions in North Korea are favorable for fruit-growing. In the 1980s, Pyongyang exported fruits, but it later shifted its focus onto the cultivation of grain. Because of this neglect, many orchards turned barren and stopped yielding fruits. To reverse this trend, a number of nurseries have been established in the country with the support of Welthungerhilfe.
Fruits and jams
As a by-product of a good harvest, apple juice is produced and bottled. Even dried fruits and jams are packed in facilities like the one shown in the picture. The objective is to revive the fruit-growing sector.
Learning from the European model
The organization conducts training programs to provide the North Koreas with the necessary skills and knowledge to sustain these projects. Also, these skilled North Koreans are invited to attend training sessions in countries like Switzerland.