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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Rebecca Root

Vaccine doses for 600,000 children and pregnant women flown to North Korea

White boxes emerge along conveyor belts from the hold and rear passenger door of an aircraft. More boxes can be seen on wagons. Military personnel and people in decontamination suits stand on the tarmc watching the boxes.
Vaccines being unloaded at the airport in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang. Malnutrition has left much of the population more vulnerable to diseases such as TB and measles. Photograph: Unicef

More than 4 million vaccine doses have been flown to Pyongyang, raising hopes that North Korea could open up again to UN agencies and NGOs amid reports of a worsening health situation in the authoritarian state.

“The return of essential vaccines marks a significant milestone towards safeguarding children’s health and survival in this country,” Roland Kupka, Unicef’s acting representative for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said in a statement.

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