North Korean children await examination for potential signs of malnutrition at an orphanage in South Hwanghae province, an area hit by summer floods and typhoons, on October 1, 2011.
North Korean authorities arrested staff at an orphanage after an investigation revealed that seven infants had died earlier this year due to food theft by caregivers. A provincial health official reported that the workers had systematically stolen food supplies intended for infants and toddlers.
The incident came to light following an outbreak of a coronavirus-like illness that claimed the lives of seven children in February at an orphanage in Hyesan city. This led party officials in northern Ryanggang province to launch an investigation into the orphanage's operations, according to a provincial resident speaking with Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity.
"They found that the children's nutritional conditions were severe, prompting them to order a judicial investigation," said the resident. "As the investigation proceeded, instances of mismanagement began to surface." This prompted officials to broaden the inquiry to include all orphan care facilities in the province.
Investigators discovered that infants and toddlers at the Hyesan orphanage were being fed a harsh mixture of corn flour and sugar instead of milk, according to the provincial resident. This revelation has shocked residents, who are angered by the deaths of the infants, he said.
"They gave this concoction to infants at breastfeeding age. Children under a year old were fed corn porridge," he explained. "Even adults would struggle to digest it."
The investigation also uncovered that caregivers had been stealing rice, sugar, cooking oil, and flour from the orphanage, and had regularly bribed supply officials, the resident said. Food shortages are a common problem in North Korea.
On April 27, provincial judicial authorities detained the heads of the accounting and medical departments at the center, according to the provincial health official. Four nutritionists from the center were also arrested, and the number of arrests is expected to increase, the resident added.
The resident noted that the director of the orphanage and the party secretary responsible for the orphanage had not been arrested.
Since 2015, North Korea has established childcare centers and orphanages in every provincial capital, including Pyongyang and several other cities. Some of these facilities cater to newborns through three-year-olds, while others serve children aged three to six.
"From the outset, these childcare centers and orphanages have faced significant issues related to poor nutrition management," said the provincial health official, who requested anonymity for personal safety.
Investigators discovered that infants and toddlers at the Hyesan orphanage were being fed a crude mixture of corn flour and sugar instead of milk, according to the provincial resident. This disclosure has shocked local residents, who are incensed by the deaths of the infants, the source said.
"They fed this concoction to breastfeeding-age infants. Children under a year old were given corn porridge," he explained. "Even adults would find it hard to digest."
The investigation also revealed that caregivers had been pilfering rice, sugar, cooking oil, and flour from the orphanage, and had been regularly bribing supply officials, the resident added. North Korea frequently faces food shortages, making such misappropriation even more alarming.
On April 27, provincial judicial authorities arrested the heads of the accounting and medical departments at the center, according to the provincial health official. Four nutritionists from the center were also taken into custody, and the resident suggested that more arrests are likely to follow.
