UNICEF/ HQ07-0369/Dan Thomas

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE S REPUBLIC OF KOREA: A toddler sticks out her tongue as she stands with a friend at the Yonathan Nursery, in the south-western province of North Hwanghae.
In July 2007 in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), malnutrition levels remain very high despite notable improvements in child nutrition since the height of the famine in 1997. Today, nearly one quarter of children under five are underweight and some 37 per cent are stunted. Additionally, one third of mothers suffer from malnutrition. Maternal mortality rates are high, at 370 per 100,000 live births (compared to 8 per 100,000 live births in industrialized countries). Access to safe water remains a major challenge and waterborne disease is a principal cause of child illness. A deteriorating school infrastructure, combined with a shortage of books and supplies, has undermined the quality of education. UNICEF assistance focuses on the treatment of severely malnourished children; prevention of micro-deficiencies; vaccination of children and pregnant women; support for water supply and purification; the supply of basic education materials; and support for nurseries, kindergartens, orphanages and primary schools.