
On November 11, 40 volunteers left Taiwan for an operation that will last nine days and cover four prefectures. They will distribute more than 13,000 tons of rice, 350,000 liters of cooking oil and 43 tons of infant formula.
In May this year, the United Nations warned that there were at least six million North Koreans in urgent need of food aid, especially children, pregnant women, seniors and patients. In 2010 and 2011, the country suffered from serious flooding during the summer that followed an extended winter; all this led to a poor harvest. In addition, three years of international sanctions have led to a reduction in food aid from foreign countries. As a result, the country is facing serious food shortages.

To ensure the smooth accomplishment of the mission, Master Cheng Yen addressed the volunteers in the Jing Si Hall in Taoyuan, close to the airport from which they were to depart. She said that she expected the volunteers to understand more about the medical needs in North Korea. "The inspection report showed the same lack of medicines and medical equipment as ten years ago."

In the 11 years since then, despite the distance, the concern of the volunteers for them has never ceased. They believe that their warmth and the sincerity behind the operation will melt the coldness of the North Korean winter.
Newer news items:
- Tzu Chi Distributes Rice to Syrian Refugees in Jordan
- A Bowl of Vegetable Porridge
- Relief Aid in Cambodia (1994 ~ 1997)
Older news items:
- Tzu Chi's Aid to Azerbaijan
- Helped by Air force, Tzu Chi Begins Aid Distribution in Chile
- Tzu Chi Active in Haiti Since 1998
- International Relief