Chosun Central TV (KCTV) reported yesterday that more than 2000ha of farmland has been submerged in and around Shinuiju, North Hamkyung Province, in what appears to be an indirect appeal for foreign aid.
The flooding occurred last weekend after the Yalu River burst its banks following unusually heavy rains for more than a week.
KCTV reported that 2458ha had been flooded, including 480ha at the Sangdan Collective Farm and 800ha at the Hadan Collective Farm, meaning, the report noted, that they will not able to produce a harvest this year at all.
According to the report, some areas of Shinuiju damaged by the flooding on the 21st and 22nd had drained by yesterday, but other areas of the city and the farmland at Sangdan-ri and Hadan-ri had been submerged for a second time.
Since Shinuiju is one of the key agricultural regions of the northeast provinces of North Korea, the latest damage will cause difficulties in rice supply for the next year in North Pyongang Province and beyond.
Politically, the North’s direct and detailed report to the public of flood damage is being seen as a request for foreign aid. The North Korean authorities also officially requested aid from the U.N. office in Pyongyang yesterday.
