Prioritizing Humanitarian Aid in the Era of Denuclearization

By Sophia Hapin, HRNK Research Intern
Edited by Rosa Park, HRNK Director of Programs and Carter Thompson, HRNK Research Intern

April 1, 2021

Introduction
North Korea is the most oppressive regime in the world, in a state of seemingly endless humanitarian crisis. Yet, while the struggles of North Koreans have reached the attention of global, mainstream media, denuclearization remains the top priority of many governments and institutions. The threat of aggression from the regime is indeed prevalent, but international organizations and governments must jointly pursue national security interests without compromising or neglecting humanitarian aid with a human rights up front approach.

Deterrence Strategy
Since North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006, the Kim regime has conducted abductions of South Korean, Japanese, and other foreign nationals, cemented alliances with American adversaries, like Iran and Syria, and created the world’s fourth-largest army. More notably, North Korea has reportedly produced sixty nuclear warheads as well as biological and chemical weapons, many of which are capable of launching an attack on the United States.[1]

The most prominent deterrent against North Korea is the use of sanctions, which were created to mitigate North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Since 2006, the UN Security Council has introduced resolutions that prohibit the illicit exchange of arms, natural resources, and other commodities by the regime.[2] Additional U.S. sanctions also impose a separate restriction on the import and export of goods, further isolating an already weakened North Korean economy. This tactic has given the United States as well as the UN leverage over the regime to press for denuclearization. Kim Jong-un has even made several requests to lift sanctions in exchange for the shutdown of some of his nuclear facilities. However, repeated cases of nuclear testing have only justified the call to enforce ever stricter sanctions against North Korea.

While sanctions have been relatively successful at keeping North Korean arms at bay, the human rights situation has failed to improve, leaving many people without sufficient means for survival.

The Situation on the Ground in North Korea
According to the 2020 DPR Korea Needs and Priorities report by the UN Resident Coordinator for the DPRK, 10.1 million people, about 40 percent of the North Korean population, are undernourished and susceptible to chronic malnutrition.[3] In the past, environmental issues, like floods and heatwaves, have contributed to the scarcity of food. However, the North Korean government’s failure to provide enough food rations is the main contributor to the high rates of starvation and malnutrition. While the North Korean government invested $620 million in nuclear weapons in 2019, which is estimated to be one-third of the country’s gross national income, only $405 million was spent on foodstuffs.[4], [5] North Korea clearly has the capability to contribute more to food security but continues to prioritize military interests at the expense of innocent lives. Consequently, the poor diet of pregnant North Korean women has resulted in high rates of child stunting.[6] It is reported that the average North Korean’s height is 3 to 8 centimeters shorter compared to a typical South Korean, and the weight of a South Korean woman is 4 to 9 kilograms heavier than a North Korean woman.[7], [8] Despite global efforts, humanitarian aid to address food insecurity could only fulfill 13 percent of the UN goal to meet the needs of one million people in 2020.[9]

Public health also requires significant attention and international assistance. Under the songbun system, a socio-economic classification structure that discriminates against individuals based on political loyalty, access to quality health care depends on one’s background and classification.[10] As a result, experts estimate that 8.7 million people in 2020 alone failed to gain access to adequate medical facilities.[11] Additionally, the WHO’s 2020 Global Tuberculosis Report revealed that North Korea held the fifth-most tuberculosis patients per 100,000 people globally, and the regime’s recent decision to close its borders due to COVID-19, despite not reporting cases, has further isolated people in regions that are dependent on treatment.[12], [13] Moreover, 8.4 million people reportedly lack access to clean water and basic sanitation facilities, and 9 out of 10 people do not have safe disposal methods of human waste.[14] As a result, it is estimated that 703 people died in 2018 from diarrheal diseases and parasitic infections, all of which were preventable with improved sanitation.[15]

An immediate pathway to relief for the North Korean people would be the termination of the Kim regime’s nuclear and missile programs and redirecting assets to fund food and healthcare. However, until the regime accepts accountability for their crimes against humanity, the international community must meet the need for humanitarian aid, while demanding increased transparency in its disbursement. Without increased external support, the North Korean people will remain at the mercy of the regime.

Prioritizing Humanitarian Aid Based on a Human Rights Up Front Approach
While denuclearization is essential to maintaining peace and security in East Asia, a concerted effort must also be made to implement policies that allow for a greater and more responsible flow of relief. Although UNSCR 2397 exempted humanitarian aid from economic sanctions, certain policies have delayed the arrival of relief. The sanctions exemption process has been especially difficult for the arrival of machinery, much of which is medical equipment or agricultural supplies. Furthermore, relief remains severely underfunded. Of the $107 million requested by the UN for humanitarian assistance, only $38.4 million was received, the majority of which was donated by the Swiss Government.[16]

The UN must also implement the Human Rights Up Front (HRUF) approach, an initiative created by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to address the ‘systematic failure’ in the response and prevention of “violations of human rights and humanitarian law.”[17] In the case of North Korea, the UN should refer to the highest level of action, senior management, and convene the Senior Action Group to ensure that a clearer and more effective approach is designed to meet humanitarian needs with HRUF, while also maintaining an aggressive strategy on denuclearization.[18] One change may include strengthening sanctions while simultaneously creating a quicker, yet thorough, exemption process or a “white list” demonstrating low security risk items.[19] Another may be a shift in focus to the most vulnerable populations: women, children, the elderly, the sick, and prisoners.

In terms of national security interests, engaging in the call for relief can also support change within the regime. According to Ambassador Robert R. King, former Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues and HRNK Board Member, exposing North Korean civilians to humanitarian officials will “increase the flow of information about the outside world,” thereby challenging North Korean propaganda’s antagonistic image of the United States.[20] Even the slightest influence grants the possibility for a civil society to emerge and demand the protection of all human rights.

Denuclearization strategies against North Korea must remain intact, especially as the regime seeks to provoke President Biden with increased missile tests and nuclear developments. However, the United States and its allies as well as the UN must additionally uphold their own moral obligations as champions of the UN Declaration of Human Rights to promote security and protect all lives, not just those of the citizens in their own countries, but also of the individuals who endure daily oppression and abuse under Kim Jong-un’s regime.

Sophia Hapin is a junior at American University, pursuing a major in International Studies and minor in International Business.

[1] Eleanor Albert, “What's the Status of North Korea's Nuclear Program?,” November 16, 2020, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/north-koreas-military-capabilities.
[2] Kelsey Davenport, “UN Security Council Resolutions on North Korea,” Arms Control Association, April 2018, https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/UN-Security-Council-Resolutions-on-North-Korea#res1718.
[3] UN Resident Coordinator for the DPR Korea, “DPR Korea Needs and Priorities 2020,” OHCA, April 2020, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2020_DPRK_Needs_and-Priorities_Plan.pdf
[4] Choi Si-young, “N. Korea Estimated to Have Spent $620m on Nukes in 2019,” The Korea Herald, May 14, 2020, http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200514000780.
[5] “Import Breakdown,” North Korea in the World, accessed March 18, 2021, https://www.northkoreaintheworld.org/economic/import-breakdown.
[6] “Democratic People's Republic of Korea,” UN World Food Programme, accessed March 12, 2021, https://www.wfp.org/countries/democratic-peoples-republic-korea.
[7] “Nine Charts Which Tell You All You Need to Know about North Korea,” BBC News, September 26, 2017, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41228181.
[8] Daniel Schwekendiek, “Height And Weight Differences Between North And South Korea,” Journal of Biosocial Science 41, no. 1 (2009): pp. 51-55, https://doi.org/10.1017/s002193200800299x.
[9] UN Resident Coordinator for the DPR Korea, “DPR Korea Needs and Priorities 2020,” OHCA, April 2020, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2020_DPRK_Needs_and-Priorities_Plan.pdf
[10] Robert Collins, “South Africa’s Apartheid & North Korea’s Songbun: Parallels in Crimes Against Humanity,” HRNK, February 2021, https://www.hrnk.org/uploads/pdfs/Collins_Apartheid_Songbun_Final.pdf 
[11] UN Resident Coordinator for the DPR Korea, “DPR Korea Needs and Priorities 2020,” OHCA, April 2020, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2020_DPRK_Needs_and-Priorities_Plan.pdf
[12] “Tuberculosis Profile: Democratic People's Republic of Korea,” World Health Organization, accessed March 12, 2021, https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/tb_profiles/?_inputs_&entity_type=%22country%22&lan=%22EN%22&iso2=%22KP%22.
[13] Richard Stone, “North Korea Is about to Exhaust Its Tuberculosis Drug Supply, Experts Warn,” American Association for the Advancement of Science, December 14, 2020, https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/north-korea-about-exhaust-its-tuberculosis-drug-supply-experts-warn.
[14] UN Resident Coordinator for the DPR Korea, “DPR Korea Needs and Priorities 2020,” OHCA, April 2020, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2020_DPRK_Needs_and-Priorities_Plan.pdf
[15] Kee B Park, Miles Kim, and Jessup Jong, “The Human Costs of UN Sanctions and Funding Shortfalls for Humanitarian Aid in North Korea,” 38 North, August 22, 2019, https://www.38north.org/2019/08/parkkimjong082219/.
[16] “DPR Korea Needs and Priorities 2020,” Financial Tracking Service (OCHA, 3AD), https://fts.unocha.org/appeals/935/summary.
[17] “'Human Rights up Front' Initiative Ever More Vital to Strengthen UN's Preventive Work, Says Deputy UN Chief,” UN News, January 28, 2016, https://news.un.org/en/story/2016/01/521092-human-rights-front-initiative-ever-more-vital-strengthen-uns-preventive-work.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Kee B Park, Miles Kim, and Jessup Jong, “The Human Costs of UN Sanctions and Funding Shortfalls for Humanitarian Aid in North Korea,” 38 North, August 22, 2019, https://www.38north.org/2019/08/parkkimjong082219/.
[20] Robert R King, “Humanitarian Engagement with North Korea-Great Need but Increasingly Difficult,” Humanitarian Engagement with North Korea-Great Need but Increasingly Difficult, September 4, 2018, https://www.csis.org/analysis/humanitarian-engagement-north-korea-great-need-increasingly-difficult.