Following the heavy flooding that hit North Korea on the 7th, the World Food Program (WFP) has revealed that 450,000tons of granary have been damaged and 300,000 persons displaced.
WFP spokesperson, Paul Risely revealed in an interview with Voice of America (VOA) on the 15th that initial reports by the U.N. and affiliated North Korean agencies indicated a 11% loss in North Korea’s corn and rice fields which is estimated to equate damages worth 450,000tons of granary.
Risely said, “At this point we are treating this as a very significant and very serious humanitarian crisis” and added, “It would appear that anywhere between 200,000 and 300,000 persons are presently without proper shelter. These are people who will require immediate emergency food rations and food assistance.”
He also predicted that the scale of damages would only increase and revealed that an agreement was currently underway to use the biscuits, corn and other food items currently stored in North Korea’s storage as a measure to assist the displaced persons.
The North Korean state media is also reporting the situation of flood damages regularly and is requesting assistance from the international community. Further, exceptional measures are being made with foreign reporters given permission to enter the flood damaged sites.
The location in which North Korean authorities are permitting foreign reporters to enter is the province of Bukchang in South Pyongan, approximately 90km north of Pyongyang. One vice-committee member of the People’s Committee in Bukchang, Son Dong Chang urged for assistance and articles needed in order to restore the nation in an interview with foreign correspondents.
Further, the loss of 11% in granary production was revealed after North Korean authorities announced this figure on the 15th. It is an extremely exceptional case that North Korean authorities announced such detailed figures regarding the flood.
In an interview with the Chosun Central News Agency, the Minister of Agriculture revealed, “It will be difficult to anticipate a good harvest as the heavy rainfall came at a critical time in production” and said, “In comparison to the past, this flood disaster has to have been the largest ever.”
The Central News Agency reported that approximately 36,700 hectres of land was submerged by the flooding in the region of North Hwanghye, one of the areas greatly devastated by the disaster, while 25,800hectres of land was affected in South Pyongan and 18,800 hectres in South Hwanghye.
The agency informed, “Restoration has begun in areas greatly damaged such as the central districts, cities and provinces.”
In an interview with Pyongyang Broadcasting, North Korea’s Vice-Minister of Electric Power Industry Kim Seung Kwan and person in charge Lee Joong Ok said, “The coal mines at the power plant was submerged in water and unfortunately, boiler operations had to be ceased” and revealed, “Tongchun 1 power plant, and Bujeon River 6 power plant operations have been suspended as they have been flooded.”
