ReliefWeb

By Madeline Wilson, IFRC

Over 3,300 Red Cross volunteers in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) are providing clean drinking water and relief supplies to people affected by severe flooding and landslides across the country.

The flooding, caused by torrential rains over the past two weeks, has resulted in 28 lives being lost and over 49,000 people displaced, according to government reports. Public buildings, bridges, roads and crops have been severely damaged, and over 3,700 families have lost their homes.

“Many families have been evacuated to temporary shelters in public buildings and self-made tents, others have sought shelter with neighbours,” says Pamela Meston, a disaster management delegate at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

“Teams from the Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea initially assisted with evacuations and provided first aid to the wounded. They also provided emergency supplies, including blankets, cooking sets, tarpaulins, jerry cans, hygiene kits and water purification tablets to more than 2,600 displaced families.”

With water supplies damaged across the country in both urban and rural areas, access to safe drinking water is a major concern. Red Cross teams are currently operating two water treatment units, providing up to 10,000 people with clean drinking water every day.

The areas worst affected by the flooding include north and south Pyongan, north and south Hwanghae, south Hamgyong, Kangwon and Jagang provinces.

Red Cross teams are currently carrying out assessments to determine what further actions may be required.