The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

2015 Annual Report of DPRK RCS

Mission The mission of the DPRK Red Cross Society is to prevent and alleviate human sufferings and misfortunes without any discrimination and to improve their health and welfare, promoting the friendship, solidarity and cooperation among peoples, thus contributing to maintenance of world peace.

DPRK RCS activities in 2015 to implement the objectives of its Strategic Plan 2016

1. “Save lives, protect livelihoods and strengthen recovery from different disasters and crises by

enhancing disaster preparedness and emergency response capacity focusing on disaster

prevention and mitigation.” – Strategic aim 1, strategic plan 2016

1) Disaster preparedness and response

DPRK RCS has contributed to saving lives, protecting properties and stabilizing the life of the victims of

disasters by improving its capacity on disaster preparedness and response in 2015.

Considering the cycle and scale of natural disasters are showing an increasing tendency caused by global

climate change, the Society updated the contingency plans of the HQs and nine provincial RC branches and

strengthened the disaster preparedness mechanism by improving its emergency response tools and measures

in cooperation with the technical support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent

Societies. On the other hand, in close coordination and collaboration with the relevant stakeholders such as

the State Committee for Emergency and Disaster Management (SCEDM), Central Statistics Bureau (CSB),

State Hydro-metrological Bureau (SHB) and Ministry of Peoples’ Security (MOPS), the efficiency and

promptitude were improved in emergency relief work.

DPRK RCS also organized Emergency Response Team at national and four provincial branches and RC

Rescue Teams in disaster prone areas and saw to it that 800 RC members, volunteers and DM staff acquire

emergency disaster response knowledge and skills with the key components on damage and needs

assessment, principles for disaster relief, water sanitation, health care and rescue services through various

workshops and practical training.

Trainings and simulation exercises of Early Warning and Evacuation system were organized in disaster prone areas in terms of hazard/risk identification, updating risk mapping and monitoring, communication of early warning messages, emergency communication channels and evacuation and rescue services. It contributed to reducing life losses and the damage of properties by responding to early warning and assisting evacuation effectively for the affected people in the emergency events like flood and landslide, and further to strengthening

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

the capacity of National Disaster Management work.

In particular, it updated the previous early warning system which had been confined to flood, to one involving multi-hazard, multi sectoral forecasting.

Last year, a total of 1,200,000 people participated in two times of early warning and evacuation simulation exercises in cooperation with the local authorities at branch level.

6,330 copies of various disaster prevention guidelines including “RC Emergency Relief Staffs Manual”,

“Construction of Safe and Convenient Rural Settlement”, “Community-Based Disaster Early Warning and

Evacuation (CBEWE)” and the “Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on Disaster Prevention,

Relief and Recovery”, 400 flip charts and 500 CBEWE CDs were published and distributed to targeting NDRT,

PDRT members, RC volunteers, relevant local DM staff and community people to increase their knowledge, skills and awareness on disasters.

This year, the DPRK RCS had swiftly reacted to the floods in city, South and North Hamgyong and South

Hwanghae provinces. It immediately mobilized hundreds of volunteers for early warning and gave the residents, the vulnerable in particular, assistance to evacuate to safe shelters on one hand, and on the other, put great effort to give first aid services and make active health and hygiene promotion in the affected areas so as to reduce the number of the dead and wounded greatly. It distributed non-food items including tarpaulins, cooking sets, quilts, hygiene kits, jerry-cans and water purification tablets to 9,364 flood affected people (2,208 families).

DPRK RCS in collaboration with local authority had deployed two water treatment units in Paekhak-dong,

Sonbong district, Rason City for one month and provided safe and clean water for drinking and life use to the flood-affected people.

With the funding support from Norwegian RCS, German RCS and British RCS, the Society has built up the logistics capacity through renovation of three DP warehouses, procurement of one new truck for the transportation of emergency relief Non Food Items (NFIs) and the warehouse and stock management workshop targeting 60 local warehouse staffs and keepers.

The DPRK RCS completed the replenishment of DP items to provide targeting maximum of 10,000 families with the pre-positioned emergency NFIs including tarpaulins, cooking sets, jerry-cans, hygiene kits and water purification tablets in future disasters in close coordination with and financial support of the IFRC, other PNSs and 2015 DREF operation.

2) Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction Programme Activities

DPRK Red Cross Society has greatly contributed to building the safe and resilient communities through the activities to reduce the disaster risk such as flood, landslide, typhoon, tide wave and mountain fire, and improving the livelihoods of vulnerable people in approximately 50 disaster prone communities.

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

(1) In close collaboration with the local authorities, DPRK RC branches at all levels have raised community peopleʼ awareness on disaster and encouraged them to positively take part in disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities by conducting the dissemination and promotion of the natural disaster aftereffects, importance of disaster prevention and technical knowledge of DRR.

- DPRK RCS branches at all levels have mobilized the RC volunteers to increase awareness of the community people, youths and children on disaster and to encourage them to take part in the removal of disaster risk factors, road and river bed cleaning, tree planting and environment protection voluntarily during the months of land management, tree planting and accident prevention.

- RC Youth Dissemination Teams were organized with RC Youth Volunteers in many communities of Unsan,

Pukchang, Sinyang, Yangdok Counties, and city under South Phyongan Province, Tongrim County in

North Phyongan Province and Hamju and Kumya Counties in to conduct dissemination activities through the art performances targeting the community people and youth and children.

As a result, all the community people and youth and children have voluntarily taken part in the DRR activities such as establishment of Early Warning and Evacuation System, tree planting and mitigation structure construction.

And experience sharings were conducted for other RC county/city branchesʼ staffs from disaster prone areas whom were encouraged to introduce the successes and experiences in the above-mentioned areas to their communities.

- The science and technology dissemination rooms in cooperative farms and forestry stations in South and

North Phyongan Provinces and South Hamgyong Province were used to disseminate the knowledge and skills on Agro-forestry combined management, sapling cultivation and manuring and cultivation of planted trees, disaster risk prevention and reduction and environment protection and so on.

(2) In close collaboration with the local authorities and scientific institutions, DPRK RCS branches at all levels have conducted various disaster risk reduction activities to prevent possible natural disasters and increase the technical skills of the field staffs.

- In close cooperation with MOLEP and Forest Academy, DPRK RCS have supported the modernization of the

City and County Mother Tree Nurseries to scientize, industrialize and intensify the tree seedling production

and contributed to preventing deforestation, the basic cause of disasters such as flood and landslide, and to

protecting soil erosion.

 With the support of technicians from Forestry Academy, DPRK RCS has organized the technical workshops targeting 180 tree nursery staff and forest rangers to have better knowledge of the theoretical

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

and practical matters concerning the construction of tree nursery, seed processing, sprouting, nutrition,

blight extermination and storage of tree seedlings and increase production of seedlings.

 1,000 copies of tree seedling production guideline have been printed and distributed to tree nursery staff and forestry rangers. These guidelines contributed to improving the technical skills of tree nursery staff

and forestry rangers and increasing the tree seedling production to help the reforestation of the

mountains.

 The DPRK RCS supplied with irrigation facilities, sun shades, seedling pots and working tools necessary for construction and maintaining of outdoor gardens, cylindrical cutting bed and seedling greenhouse to

the city or county mother nurseries in 12 areas nationawide to ensure great enhancement of the tree

seedling production capacity. This resulted in producing about 30,000,000 seedlings, contributing to the

build-up of capacity for sutrainable reforestation activities.

 During Spring Tree Planting Campaign in 2015, approx. 200 thousands of volunteers and RC youth members planted trees of various species on 7,000 hectares of mountains to make a great contribution

to preventing the natural disasters such as flood, landslide and so on.

- 120,000 community people and volunteers with the support of local authorities and appropriate scientific

institutions have built various disaster mitigation structures such as bank revetment, stone masonry, and river

improvement to stabilize the people in the disaster prone areas.

(3) In close collaboration with the relevant local government authorities and scientific institutions, DPRK RCS

branches at all levels have conducted several activities to improve the livelihood of vulnerable people.

- The technical workshops on agro-forestry were organized for 200 slopy land users and technical officials of

cooperative farms.

Approx 9,000 people introduced the agro-forestry methods to 355 hectares of slopy l ands. Soil erosion and

flood damage could be prevented by forming of the biological contour belts and the food securities and

livelihoods of the vulnerable people could be improved and the ecosystem be protected by planting

economical trees like fruit trees along the belts.

1,433 pamphlets of “Agro-forestry management technique of fruit trees” were distributed to increase the skill

and knowledge of the forest supevisors and slopy land managers and introduce the A-R managmeng method

to suit to the actual conditions of the appropriate unit so as to protect the forest and contribute to the food

safety of the communities.

- DPRK RCS have conducted activities to improve the livelihood of vulnerable people by supporting the

construction materials of vegetable greenhouse and giving technical trainings regarding the management of

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

the vegetable greenhouse.

With the technical support from scientific institutions, DPRK RCS has conducted technical trainings targeting

200 people to improve their theoretical and practical knowledge concerning the construction and

management of vegetable greenhouse, the distribution of crops, irrigation, nutrition administration, and blight

killing so that they can increase vegetable production.

14 vegetable greenhouses with 7,000 square meters of total production space were constructed in the

communities of city and Unsan, Pukchang, and Yangdok counties, South Phyongan Province,

Kumya and Hamju Counties, South Hamgyong Province and Tongrim County and Jongju City, North

Phyongan Province.

These vegetable greenhouses were able to produce and supply high nutrition vegetables to 30,000 vulnerable

people such as the old, the pregnant, children, handicapped and so on.

- 6 sets of food processing machines such as rice husking and cleaning machines, expellers, bean-drink

makers and noodle makers have been delivered to the vulnerable communities in Kaechon City, South

Phyongan Province, Tongrim County in North Phyongan Province and Kumya and Hamju counties under

South HamgyongPrivince so that 18,500 people could eat safe and processed nutritious food.

-Many local RC branches and committees in close cooperation with health and prophylactic institutions

enlisted RC volunteers to promotional work to make the people know of the co-relations between hygiene,

health and nutrition, maintain good hygiene in the public or individual life and keep a safe storage of food and

make an effective use of the food in custody.

- With the help of DPRK RCS, 258 tons of mushrooms were produced at the mushroom production facilities

built in the communities of Unsan, Sinyang and Yangdok counties, Tokchon and Kaechon cities in South

Phyonan Province, Tongrim and Kujang Counties in North Phyongan Province and Kumya County in South

Hamgyong Provicne, contributing to the nutrition improvement of vulnerable people such as children, the old,

the pregnant, large families and the handicapped.

- With the technical support from the Central Mushroom Institute, DPRK RCS has conducted the technical

trainings targeting 150 people to improve their theoretical and practical knowledge concerning the

construction and management of mushroom production facilities, mushroom spore production, blight-killing,

use of waste, and so on .

A thousand copies of “Mushroom blight-killing and use of waste material” have been printed and distributed to

mushroom technicians and growers, which contributed to improving their technical skills and increasing

production, thus helping the improvement of livelihood of the vulnerable people.

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

- Income generated from greenhouses, mushroom production facilities and food processing machines has

enabled the RC branches and committees to conduct disaster risk reduction activities such as establishment

of early warning and evacuation system, tree planting, and construction of structures and the promotional

work to improve the level of the common knowledge and expertise among the people.

2. “Prevent diseases, continue to put great efforts on dissemination of first aid and health promotion and

respond effectively and efficiently to health emergencies and improve ecological environment and

environmental sanitation, thus ensuring that all people enjoy healthy and safe living.” (Objective 2,

strategic plan 2016)

Overview

In 2015, the Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK RCS), in close

cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health(MoPH), made continued efforts to protect lives and health of

the people from all risks including disasters and ensure safe and healthy living in accordance with its

strategic plan 2016 and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(Federation)

strategy 2020.

Whilst giving great importance to building up the capacity of health institutions whose role is very crucial in

protecting and improving the health of the people, an emphasis was put to integrating community-based

health and first aid (CBHFA) with other programs such as disaster management(DM), water and

sanitation(Watsan) and organizational development(OD) so as to empower the communities to respond

better to all health risks and challenges.

Other health activities including First Aid(FA), Health Promotion(HP), Health in Emergency(HiE), Voluntary

Non-Remunerated Blood Donation(VNRBD) and social welfare were expanded and as a result, the quality

of service of volunteers was enhanced to greater extent.

Please find below a summary of different health activities for the year 2015.

1) Collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health

DPRK RCS, in close cooperation with the MoPH, placed its focus on preventing and treating communicable

and non–communicable diseases among the population and improving health service.

- A number of different activities such as awareness building on preventing communicable and non –

communicable disease, keeping the environment clean and tidy, vaccination campaign and health

promotion were conducted actively through a strong network of volunteers and local RC branches.

-The RCS ensured that its branches and volunteers engage in the time-based awareness-building work for

making the people keen on the prevention and control of the communicable and non-communicable

diseases in cooperation with the state health institutions and health workers.

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

 In particular, in the nationwide March-April and September-October hygiene months it enlisted RC volunteers and residents to focus in a planned way on the environment improvement work for keeping

their own homes and villages clean and tidy and voluntarily take part in vaccination to enhance the rate

of inoculation and ward off the outbreak of preventable diseases through vaccination.

 In 2015, 3,400 volunteers were mobilized in health promotion activities targeting 533,000 people throughout the country. And this has contributed much to the removal of outmoded customs and the

behavior change of the local people.

- DPRK RCS, in close cooperation with the Federation, provided 4,772 Il cha and small kits respectively to

2,030 health institutions in the South Phyongan, North Phyongan, South Hamgyong, Kaesong city of

North .

-With the supply of medicine and medical consumables, DPRK RCS conducted health training for

household doctors with an aim to improve professional skills of the local health workers. More than 200

household doctors were trained on the household-doctor in-service and the health and safe nutrition of

mothers and children under five.

2) Community Based Health and First Aid(CBHFA)

-Integration of CBHFA with other programs proceeded smoothly and a number of successes were made in

enhancing impact and efficiency of CBHFA.

-Great efforts were made in preventing and managing the prevailing health risks such as acute respiratory

infection(ARI), communicable disease, diarrehea and safe nutrition.

 In 12 communities of integration, 200 RC facilitators and 1,000 volunteers trained by the RC actively conducted trainings, workshops and health promotion on different topics including FA, ARI, diarrehea and

safe nutrition. In addition, prevention of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes

was newly included in the health promotion.

 RC publications and health promotion were updated to reflect the trend of the world developments and to suit our local realities and new methods of promotion and training were developed to improve the skill of

health workers and the level of common knowledge of the community people.

- An attempt was also made on a trial basis to modernize health institutions in the communities of

integration.

-With the installation of solar heating system in the four health institutions, a big change was made in the

treatment of patients, particularly, in the winter period.

-Such a work is planned to be expanded to other health institutions in the communities.

3) First Aid(FA)

Following activities were carried on with an emphasis to the expansion of the dissemination of the FA

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

knowledge nationwide and increasing the quality of the FA service of RC volunteers and RC youth members

during natural disasters and daily living.

-Master trainers at the national and provincial level were reconfirmed and qualified FA courses were given to

them to train 30 experts (the RC HQs organizes every year one FA course for the master trainers and

trainers of the 16 RC training centers nationwide.)

–Every provincial RC branch organized FA course for the city or county-level trainers in their community to

suit to their own actual conditions to enhance the level of their FA skill and training.

-In 2015 only, more than 16,230 volunteers were trained on FA knowledge to increase the rank of volunteers

possessed of FA knowledge and practical capacity.

-In cooperation with the Ministry of Education(MoE), DPRK RCS organized to add to the school curricula the

international standard FA knowledge and technique and supplied the teaching materials needed to improve

the quality of the FA education given in the schools.

-DPRK RCS saw the RC youth members to play greater role in dissemination of the FA knowledge to the

broad masses and gave 400 RC youth members an FA course so as to impart to 2,000 school children a

fundamental FA knowledge through a peer-to-peer education.

-FA manuals and FA flip charts were published and distributed to the RC volunteers and RC youth

members.

-To mark the World First Aid Day(WFAD) DPRK RCS fixed September as the FA month and saw to it that

5,500 RC youth and volunteers make various FA activities such as sports matches (relating to FA), art

performances and publicity of FA knowledge and made these events and activities covered by mass media

arising awarness of importance of FA among population.

-DPRK RCS in close cooperation with the MoPH and the Federation pushed away with the work for

strengthening the material and technical foundation of 16 training centres nationwide intentionally and

immediately focused on those in South Phyongan Province, South Hamgyong Province and Kaesong city in

North Hwanghae Province.

-It also saw in close cooperation of the MoPH that 1,700 FA posts fulfil their own function satisfactorily and

built up model FA posts in North and South Phyongan Provinces and South Hamgyong Province and

Kaesong city in North Hwanghawe Province and supplied materials needed in maintaining these posts with

the support of the Federation and contribution organizations.

-Efforts were made for the technical and experience exchanges relating to FA in the international and

regional scale. The DPRK RCS has taken part in the Asian Pacific Conference held in Hong Kong in

November, 2015 to know the world developments relating to FA, exchanged the successes and experiences

achieved in the sector of FA and discussed the joint actions for developing the FA.

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

-Health in Emergency(HiE)

DPRK RCS organzied following activites with an emphasis on enhancing HiE capacity of the national

society and HiE capacity of RC volunteers so as to respond promptly in possible disasters.

 2,000 trainers and 10,000 volunteers were trained on HiE to strengthen their HiE response capacity.

 Publications on the prevention of epidemics essential in HiE activities during disasters were printed

and distributed to the RC branches of all levels and volunteers.

 Mobile FA post material and emergency health kits were secured in cooperation with the Federation

and donation organizations so as to respond promptly to different disasters.

4) Blood Service

The DPRK RCS carried on following activities with an emphasis on activating the world blood donation activity

“Club. 25” to bring up free volunteer blood donors:

- The RCS in contact with the MoPH gave health workers and 100 young people in various areas a course

“Blood and blood donation” to increase the rank of voluntary non-remunerated blood donors.

- The RCS furnished a blood donors room in the blood transfusion centre of South Hamgyong Province

through which to activate blood donation in the national and local levels and lay a material and technical

foundation for the safe storage and transport of blood.

- It also organized a course and work with mass media to exchange the practical experiences and lessons of

model free volunteer blood donors in the “Vow Activity 25” and enlist more people to this movement in June

availing itself the opportunity of the “World Blood Donors Day” to increase the public concern with the free

volunteer blood donation.

Monitoring, evaluation and review

The public medical service section in coordination with the stakeholders including the provincial RC branches

and the organizing and planning section put emphasis on establishing a system of regular monitoring,

evaluation and report for the substantial implementation of the planned activities and the guaranttee of their

effectiveness and efficiency.

- It established a system of working out a plan of monitoring and evaluation based on reasonable and

practical appraisal indices by the acivity and implementing it.

- It worked out an executive program and carried out survey of demand, evaluation of baseline level of indices

and judgment of after-plan effectiveness.

- It guided and helped the provincial RC branches to work out a qualitative public medical service plan and to

submit the annual report of activities.

- It normalized the witness of arrival of medicines in the recipient medicine administration office of the RC

cooperation medicines through the field representatives and visited 2,030 hospitals for the past year to

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

monitor and acquaint itself with the the problems cropping up in the use of the coopration medicines and at

the same time coordinate the RC activities including the FA activities and hygiene promotion conducted by

the 1700 FA posts.

5) Water and Sanitation activities

(1)On the occasion of national March-April and September-October Hygiene months, all the city and county level branches ensured that the volunteers actively take part in activities to equip houses, villages and streets in a sanitary and cultured way.

-On the occasion of spring and autumn hygiene months, they closely cooperated with Public Health

Organizations and Hygienic and Anti-epidemic Centres to let the volunteers enhance hygiene promotion so that all the citizens voluntarily take part in the activities with master-like attitudes to equip their houses, villages and streets in a sanitary and cultured way. On the other hand they organized the volunteers to take a leading role in these activities.

Many branches including Kaechon City and Unsan County of South Phyongan Province, Tongrim County and

Yomju County of North Phyongan Province, Kumya County and Yonggwang County of South Hamgyong

Province, Kaesong City of set an example in these activities and especially the

Kaesong City branch organized 450 volunteers to conduct propagation and mobilization activities among the citizens on the occasion of spring and autumn hygiene months.

In the schools of Unsan County town and Phyonghwa-ri, Tokchon County of South Phyongan Province,

Taesong-ri and Amdu-ri, Jongju City of North Phyongan Province, hygiene promotion groups were organized with 20-25 students and artistic performance tour was conducted in several communities on the major occasions in spring and autumn. This has contributed to building awareness among the citizens about the importance of sanitary and cultural affairs and voluntarily taking part in the activities to make their village and working places clean and tidy for them to get rid of outmoded insanitary life customs and maintain sanitary and cultural life customs in their everyday life.

-The branches let the volunteers actively take part in the nationwide popular movement to establish cultured ways in production and life and contribute to equip the streets and villages where they live in as a socialist fairyland.

The branches of Sinyang and Unsan Counties, South Phyongan Province, Kumya and Yonggwang Counties,

South Hamgyong Province mobilized 400 volunteers respectively and in close cooperation with the People’s

Committee contributed to the activities for making the streets and dwelling houses in sanitary and cultured way including cleaning and maintenance of dumps, rearrangement and masonry of ditches, rearrangement of rainwater and sewerage system.

The branches of Tongrim and Ryongchon Counties of North Phyongan Province, Kaesong City of North

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

Hwanghae Province and City of mobilized 300 volunteers in average every day for a week to the activities to protect and manage water source, rearrange ditches and renovate old sanitation facilities in the county town and villages within the county. Through these activities they successfully cleaned and disinfected more than 560 water sources and distribution tanks, while rearranging more than 100 km of ditches and renovating 12,000 public and household toilets.

-Many city and county branches, in cooperation with the sanitation and anti-epidemic institutions, let the volunteers conduct hygienic inspection to individual households and assist those families short of work hands in a planned way.

Many branches including that of Pyoksong and Samchon Counties of South Hwanghae Province, Kosong and

Chonnae Counties of Kangwon Province, City and Hongwon County of South Hamgyong Province,

Myongchon and Kilju Counties of in close contact with the County Hygienic and

Anti-epidemic Centre organized sanitary inspection in neighborhood units, dongs and ris of the county. They also mobilized volunteers to conduct mutual inspection between communities and villages and organized activities to fix up the defects found in the inspections meticulously. Many volunteers were mobilized to this activity. They visited 5500 families and helped 1900 vulnerable families to refurnish their houses in sanitary and cultural way.

Branches of Mundok, Onchon and Taedong Counties and City of South Phyongan Province, Yonan,

Pyoksong and Samchon Counties of South Hwanghae Province mobilized more than 1100 volunteers to the promotional work for letting the citizens perceive the importance of protecting water source and distribution tanks and keep order and regulations within the reservation district and to the inspection and control activities to get rid of any tendency counter to it. As a result, the water quality of the units where water supply and sewage systems have been constructed through Red Cross water and sanitation project in the past passed the test done by Hygienic and anti-epidemic Centre of the county concerned every quarter.

(2) All the branches of cities and counties in cooperation with public health institutions strengthened hygiene promotion and education activities among citizens to let them establish hygienic and cultural life customs and reduce the rate of outbreak of various water-borne diseases.

-On the occasion of spring and autumn hygiene months, the volunteers in close cooperation with the officials of public health institutions in the area proper and let all the citizens be present in the hygiene promotion.

The branches of many cities and counties of South Phyongan Province and Sout Hwanghae Province actively operated the Red Cross First Aid Post within their counties. On the other hand they conducted regular monitoring to the first aid posts to let it play its role as a centre of hygiene promotion for the citizens and activities to improve the practical ability of the volunteers in close contact with the HQs with many successes.

-All the branches in close touch with the HQs achieved many successes by concentrating on hygiene promotion

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

to prevent the spread of diseases due to polluted water in rainy seasons and carriers like flies and mosquitoes.

In many regions of South Hwanghae Province and North and South Phyongan Provinces, due to unusual drought water sources were dried up and the citizens were left with no choice other than using the surface water like polluted rivers and lakes. In the circumstances, the HQs ensured that all the city and county branches mobilize volunteers to engage in vigorous promotion activities among the citizens to keep to the rules of hygiene in sterilization and storage of water and personal and domestic life.

-On the occasion of “World Water Day”, “Hand Washing Day” and “World Toilet Day”, the city and county branches held events according to their specific conditions to enhance the citizen’s knowledge about water and sanitation. Particularly the branches of Sinyang, Unsan, Yangdok and Kujang Counties and Tokchon and

Kaechon cities strengthened the role of hygiene promotion squad composed of with youth volunteers to conduct promotion activities targeting 150,000 citizens in total on these occasions with great success.

In cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and its sister societies, efforts were made to carry out a project for rehabilitating and newly installing water supply and sanitation facilities in the most vulnerable communities to provide the citizens with safe water and clean environment.

-In ten target communities of North and South Phyongan Provinces and South Hamgyong Province, water supply, sewage and sanitation facilities have been newly installed or improved, as a result of which the citizens could have access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitary and cultural living condition and environment.

It is as follows.

Water Supply System Latrines remarks

City/ Soak No. Province Ri/Dong Total County Pits Clini Total HH Beneficiari HH School c es

Finishing, 2x15 1 Songchon Eup 3,442 12,766 580 350 transfer in seats South June 2015

Phyongan Eup(Song Finishing,tra 2 Sukchon nam-dong 2,180 8,300 450 300 1 nsfer in June ) 2015

Finishing,tra North 3 Thaechon Unhung 439 2,064 150 50 sfer in June Phyongan 2015

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

Finishing, Yonggwan 1x15 4 Kisang 655 2,732 240 170 1 transfer in g seats South June 2015

Hamgyong Finishing, 5 Kumya Paeksan 707 2,667 340 130 1 transfer in June 2015

Total 6,716 28,529 1,760 1,000 3 3

Completion Tokcho 1x15 1 Phyonghwa 1,909 7,464 800 450 1 forseen in n seats May 2016

South Completion 2x15 2 Phyon Unsan Eup 2,915 11,281 350 350 1 foreseen in seats gan May 2016

Completion Yangdo 1x15 3 Tongyang 442 1,805 170 170 1 foreseen in k seats May 2016

North Phyon Completion 1x15 4 gan Yomju Namsi 880 3,552 400 200 1 foreseen in seats provin May 2016 ce

South Phyon Completion Kaecho 1x15 5 gan Ponghwa 200 50 1 foreseen in n seats provin May 2016

ce

Total 6,146 24,102 1,920 1,220 5 6

-Workshops concerning the construction and maintenance of water supply and sanitation facilities were held 5 times to contribute to enhancing the technical and practical level of 100 Red Cross branch officials and technicians of the units concerned and to the successful construction of water supply and sanitation facilities.

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

-At the same time, 2000 copies of Watsan Technical Brochure and IEC materials for Hygiene Promotion were printed and distributed to the officials of the branches, technicians and the volunteers to contribut to the enhancement of technical and practical skill and the level of hygiene knowledge. -In November 2015, the Impact Review Evaluation was carried out with Watsan Consultant of IFRC targeting 11 communities out of 24 from the 2007-2009 project cycle. The maintenance, operation and impact of water supply systems and sanitation facilities which have been constructed in the past were assessed on the spot together with the benificiaries and the issues arisen were discussed and measures taken. (3)The National Society also put stress to the strengthening of the emergency water and sanitation relief capacity and conducted various activities for this. When flood occurred in many places of the county, the NS responded effectively and prevented various infectious diseases including water-borne diseases that might break out in the damaged regions and contributed to the stabilization of life of the flood-affected. -The inspection and maintenance works of the emergency water and sanitation relief equipment were done regularly, i.e. 3 times annually and made full preparation to respond effectively in time by prepositoing more than 200 spare parts of various kinds. -In of South Phyongan Province and Hamhung City of South Hamgyong Province, Emergency Watsan Workshops were held for 50 volunteers to prepare them to counter rapidly in case of emergency. -Concerning the flood in Rason City of North Hamgyong Province in August, 2015, emergency Watsan relief activity was undertaken to stabilize the life of flood-affected people.Meanwhile, hygiene promotion activities were conducted to prevent possible outbreak of diseases. Detailed activites are as follows. Two mobile water treatment units were sent to Rason City to produce 100 cubic metres of clean drinking water in average every day and supply it to more than 10,000 flood-affected people. Since it is short of demand, the National Society supplied 223,000 water purification tablets to the people in the subrbs and those relying on wells and tube-wells and gave them explanations about its usage to prevent water-borne diseases. Besides, 1,300 boxes of family hygiene kit and 1,350 jerry cans were supplied to the flood-affected. And in order to prevent pollution by defecation, 90 slabs for emergency latrines were supplied and in cooperation with the government, National Society installed many latrines made of local materials and ensured that water-borne diseases to prevent environmental pollution. 2000 copies of printed materials were supplied to the officials of public health institutions and volunteers of Rason City so that they could actively engage in hygiene promotion to prevent various diseases caused by flood. Moreover, the National Society trained 84 hygiene promotion volunteers in flood-affected areas of South Hwanghae Province and North Hamgyong Province contributing to reducing water-borne diseases. -The National Society procured 2210 jerry cans and 2210 boxes of family hygiene kit with the support of IFRC DREF and stocked them in the regional warehouses. It also published and stocked 7000 copies of flip charts to use in future disaster responses.

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

3. Further strengthen social reconciliation and cohesion, ensure full display of the spirit of helping

each other and be enjoyed equally independent and dignified life by all, through dissemination of

the fundamental principles of the Movement and humanitarian values. (Objective 3, NS strategic

plan 2016)

-The NS widely disseminated and agitated the government’s people-first and love-posterity policy and the fundamental principles as well as humanitarian values of the RCRC movement in workshops, trainings and public gathering and through publications, which encouraged RC staffs and volunteers to love and respect people and serve them faithfully. -It gave psychosocial and material assistance to baby homes, orphanages, the old people’s home and the handicapped, thus further enhancing the image of RC as well as strengthening its auxiliary role to the government in its efforts to warmly care for and guide people. -Model non-remunerated blood donors and active volunteers devoting themselves for the vulnerable and other people were widely introduced in close contact with mass media, which contributed to fully displaying the atmosphere of helping and leading each other forward and to further strengthening the social cohesion and unity. 4. Enabling actions to implement the NS strategic plan 2016 by strengthening the NS institutional

capacity and developing the international cooperation

1) To further strengthen the capacity to become a stronger national society

Overview

The DPRK RCS gave priority to the organizational development in 2015. It made its efforts to strengthen

the capacity of the NHQ and branches at all levels and to improve the volunteer management capacity so

as to build a well-funtioning and stronger organization in line with the IFRC 2020 strategy and the NS

strategic plan 2016 .

It also attached great importance to coordinating the interventions of each program for successful

implementation of integrated program (IP) which started from 2014, through which the PMER capacity of

the NHQ and branch staffs were improved.

Focus was put on building of planning capacity and fulfillment of accountability and role of community

project management committee (CPMC) members through the whole project cycle. With a proper

monitoring and evaluation mechanism set in and the resource mobilization capacity gradually increased

at community level, big progress was made in building safe and resilient communities.

Through the organizational capacity self-assessment (OCAC), the NS current capacity was assessed

and its development priorities were identified, which served as an important occasion in developing the

NS strategic plan 2020 in future.

-Organizational Development and Capacity Building

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

 The organizational capacity self-assessment was done in July, 2015.

The OCAC workshop was attended by 20 odd persons including the central committee

(governance)members of the society and NHQ and branch staffs at all levels and volunteers which

was facilitated by Mr. Roger Brake, head of the Organizational Development Department of IFRC.

The workshop reached the common consensus on weaknesses and strengths of the organization

and confirmed the orientation of the short and long term development of NS.

 The leadership training was conducted in March, 2015, which discussed the issues to formulate the branch work system at all levels, enhance their responsibility and role as required by the developing

situation and improve the volunteer recruitment and training.

- RC member and volunteer management  The National Society put a focus on volunteers’ ranks retention, an important component of volunteer management while publishing and distributing 1,500 copies of updated volunteer’s

manual to branches at all levels, which was helpful for volunteer management.

 A total of 15 rounds of the volunteer management workshops were held in 14 permanent branches in the period between April and August, 2015, with attendance of 300 odd staff from branches at all

levels. The workshops were aimed at enhancing the capacity of the branch staff and community

volunteer leaders in recruiting volunteers and organizing and encouraging volunteers’ activities.

And experiences and lessons also were exchanged on expansion and retention of volunteers’ ranks

and sustainability of voluntary service, the important issues to strengthen the accountability and

role of volunteers’leaders in volunteer management being discussed at the workshops.

 The emergency operation was done to respond to flood, which hit Haeju city and Pyoksong county of South Hwanghae province and Rason city in August 2015. It served as an opportunity to increase

RC image and enthusiasim for delivering voluntary service ever nationwide and thereby the RC

membership reached to 721,946 as of December 2015, an increase by 1,300 as compared with that

of 2014. The enthusiasm of RC members for becoming volunteers got higher than usual, so the

number of volunteers increased by 600 as compared with that of 2014, thus reaching to 102,780 as

of December 2015.

 The quality of voluntary service was remarkably improved in communities. Especially in 12 integrated program targeted communities of South Phyongan and South Hamgyong provinces and

North Phyongan province, beneficiaries got more interested in becoming volunteers than in other

areas.

-RC youth activities

NS ensured that the governance and management at all levels paid deep attention to RC youth activities

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

and organized and mobilized them to proactively conduct RC message dissemination acitivities and

service.

 It promoted the RC youth acitivities to be expanded and strengthened intentionally with a correct understanding of the role of the youth within the RC movement while appraising exemplary branch

staffs and arranging gatherings for sharing experiences on a regular basis

 Frequent consultations were held with the the DPRK Education Commission and other local education authorities agencies and others concerned with RC youth activities and youth and

pupils were encouraged to do good for people like RC message dissemination, first aid and tree

planting.

 Musical instruments and other RC youth uniforms were provided to 15 secondary middle schools in IP targeted areas, which increased the role of RC youth dissemination teams. Their art

performances on various such themes as disaster prevention, first aid and hygine promotion

contributed to enhancing 100,000 odd community people’s awareness.

 The classrooms for first aid dissemination were turned into multi-functional ones in schools, which were helpful for increasement of pupils’ awareness and knowledge on first aid, hygiene promotion,

disaster and environmental protection. The branches mobilized RC youth members in keeping

schools and homes clean and hygienic and conducting diverse activities like hygiene promotion, tree

planting, accident prevention and environment protection and energizing peer-to-peer education.

-Integration and coordination of programs

 With a view to building resilient communities, the NS ensured the CPMCs of vulnerable communities increased their responsibility and role in implementing the IP.

Workshops were held to improve the CPMC members’PMER capacity, which helped them enhance

their capacity in implementation, planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting and fulfil their

mandate as masters of the baseline survey, planning and implementation.

The NS made sure the cooperation with local authorities, organizations, agencies and other

stakeholders was further strengthened and the resource mobilization (RM) was maximized in

implementing IP, which resulted in further enhancement of the IP targeted communities’RM

capacity as compared with that of 2014.

 The NHQ arranged the multi-sectoral monitoring in 12 IP targeted communities to collect full information on IP implementation from 2015 October to November, which helped gain experiences

and learn lessons to be used for developing a more practical IP plan 2016.

2) Humanitarian diplomacy

-Introduction gathering and consultation were arranged on purpose in close contact with the Ministry of

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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Annual Report 2015

Health, Ministry of Land and Environment Protection, Education Commission, People’s Security

Department, Academy of Sciences and State Hydro Meteorological Administration, which contributed to

increasing their concern in RC activities and promoting their cooperation.

-The world RC movement and DPRK RCS activities were introduced through TV and other mass media on

the occasions of “World RCRC Day”, NS founding day and “World First Aid Day”. The national and local

stakeholders and different social organizations were often invited there to have impact on them, through

which the RC image was raised and the state and social support increased.

-4 rounds of information gathering were held for domestic journalists to let them be aware of the history,

principles of RC movement and NS activities, which became good opportunities to promote their RC

introduction activities with more interests in it. 3) International Cooperation - The DPRK Red Cross Society enjoyed closer cooperation with IFRC, ICRC and other NSs this year. - There were many occassions to develop the partnership with National Societies (NSs) including East Asia Leadership Meeing held in Ulan Batar, Mongolia in May and General Assembly and Council of Delegates in Geneva. - In Octobor, DPRK RC had contacts with partner NSs in the International Conference-Resilience for real organized by the Norwegian Red Cross in celebration of 150th anniversary. - The CAS meeting was held in Beijing in September with the participation of IFRC, ICRC and partner NSs such as Swedish RC, British RC, Finnish RC, and German RC. In the meeting the implementation of the cooperation in 2015 was examined and matters on the cooperation in 2016 discussed. - IFRC Asia Pacific Zonal Office Director and representatives from SRC, BRC, and FRC made a visit to the DPRK to carry out an IRE mission in Sinyang County, South Phyongan Province. - In April and May, Head and Deputy of ICRC Operation for Asia, came to and had a discussion on the issues of common concern in the field of orthopaedics, health and WatHab program.

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