North Korea

With a terrain that is 70% mountainous and a temperate climate with a short agricultural season, North Korea long relied on its sister countries (mainly the URSS) for supply of raw materials (oil, gas, petroleum coke), manufactured goods and food products. The collapse of the Eastern block in 1991 resulted in a dramatic decrease of the country’s economic production and energy resources. The floods of 1994 and 1995, the draught of 1997, obliged the DPRK government to appeal for international assistance.

It was in response to this appeal that Triangle performed a survey, in August 1998, resulting in the installation of a mission in December 2000 and a first programme, dedicated to the agricultural sector.

Since then, Triangle has performed some 14 programs in North Korea ranging from Agricultural development which included rehabilitation of 4.000 hectares of Polders*, to rehabilitation of drinking water and sanitisation works, insulation of schools and medical facilities, emergency supplies after the Ryongchon rail catastrophe in 2004, and social assistance.

*An area of low-lying land that has been reclaimed from a body of water