The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) says it will increase its aid for North Korea by $1 million this year.
Hler Gudjonsson, a regional IFRC communications delegate for East Asia, told VOA the organization has decided to offer about $6.6 million in 2015.
A drought in North Korea — known officially as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK — has affected the availablity of food "quite a lot," Gudjonsson said, and IFRC food-supply operations will be increased as a result.
According to IFRC’s 2015 Budget Summary Table, the organization plans to focus on "Health and Care" and "Disaster Risk Reduction" this year, allocating $2.2 million and $2.15 million, respectively.
The help will include efforts to improve disaster preparedness, response capacity, and provision of essential drugs and emergency treatment.
Supporting the DPRK Red Cross Society, IFRC is one of the major humanitarian organizations operating in North Korea. Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Norway have been engaged in IFRC’s 2015 aid plan for the country.
This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Korean service.
