Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Flood DREF operation update n° MDRKP006
Period covered: 31 July to 30 August 2013
CHF 299,744 has been allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Red Cross Society in delivering immediate assistance to 5,000 families (20,000 beneficiaries).
Summary: Due to torrential rains in early July, severe floods and landslides affected six provinces in the DPRK and resulted in 33 deaths, 18 missing and two injured. A total of 4,000 families lost their homes and approximately 50,000 people are displaced. The three most affected provinces are North Hwanghae, South Pyongan and North Pyongang.
In response to the emergency, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Red Cross Society (DPRK RCS) mobilized the national disaster response team (NDRT) and provincial disaster response teams (PDRT) to these three affected provinces to conduct damage and need assessments to identify further actions. Trained Red Cross community volunteers were mobilized for early warnings and evacuation support, first aid services, hygiene promotion and distribution of relief items. The provincial Red Cross branches are coordinating with the local government in advocating the needs of the disaster victims.
To date, the DPRK RCS, with the support of the IFRC, has distributed relief items to 4,851 families whose houses have either been partially of totally destroyed by the flood. Beneficiaries were selected based on priority in supporting the families who have lost their dwellings (including those partially damaged and completely damaged). Second priority was to those who had lost their belongings in the floods.
The DPRK RCS promptly deployed two mobile water treatment units to Anju City, South Pyongan province and Taechon County, North Pyongan province. The mission has been completed and the units have therefore been returned.
This operation is expected to be implemented over a period of three months, and will be completed by 31 October 2013. In line with IFRC reporting standards, the final report (narrative and financial) is due 90 days after the end of the operation (by 31 January 2014).
The DREF is replenished 100 per cent thanks to the contribution of Directorate-General Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (DG ECHO), Japanese Red Cross Society, Korean Red Cross, and from the Canadian Red Cross/government.