It has been a very busy summer with our continuing TB related work, as well as ramping up a new food delivery project in which we are involved along with four other non-profit organizations. As you may know, in response to urgent food needs, the US government announced recently that it would be providing to the DPRK this year 500,000 metric tons of food. They will deliver 400,000 MT through the UN's existing World Food Program, but they asked a consortium of five non-profits who have a longstanding history of individual work in the DPRK to collectively deliver 100,000 MT. We will be working in a consortium together with Mercy Corps, World Vision, Samaritan's Purse and Global Resource Services to confirm delivery of this food aid from now until the grant year ends on May 31, 2009. It is a very ambitious and complex project, but one that is urgently necessary in order to meet the basic food needs for the most vulnerable among North Korea's population. The food will be targeted for delivery to children under six, to pregnant and nursing mothers, and to other needy recipients as they are jointly identified. We will be contributing leadership and oversight, as well as staff members to this project who will be living and working in either Sinuiju or Huichon City for the duration of the project. The project will be entirely funded by the US government, and we will be lending our joint experience, good relationships, and collective expertise to make this an effective, accountable and transparent program. We covet your prayers as this is a difficult undertaking under the best of circumstances.

DPRK Food Aid Press Release

Very serious food shortages, caused in part by significant flooding that happened last Fall, have greatly impacted the health of the population in alarming ways. The number of registered Tuberculosis cases has gone from 52,000 last year, to over 100,000 this year. There is only enough medicine in the country this year to treat 52,000 patients, so we are working very hard to try to raise funds needed to cover the cost of medicine for the 12,000 patients that live in our supported area. We need to raise an additional $245,000 to meet this need. The dramatic rise in patient numbers is putting a lot of pressure on local staff and our supported facilities as they struggle to care for the increased patient load amidst shortages of many kinds. Please continue to pray for the people of North Korea as they endure more hardship, sickness and hunger. Please also pray that we will have the resources we need to help care for them.

Visit our Gifts of Hope 2008

for information on current CFK projects.