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AmeriCares is mobilizing an emergency response to reports of flash flooding in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that has submerged about 36,700 acres of farmland and destroyed 5,500 homes and 350 public buildings. Resulting landslides have downed bridges and closed roads. The Amnok (Yalu) River which forms the border between China and the DPRK is at its highest water level in 15 years. The numbers of casualties and people affected are not yet known, but initial estimates indicate that 10,000 people are seeking shelter in public buildings in the border city of Sinuiju.
AmeriCares is sending humanitarian aid to Pyongyang. AmeriCares is contributing antibiotics, IV solutions, hygiene items and other medical aid.
The flooding in the DPRK has added another dimension to an expanding crisis in Asia as record rains have produced disastrous flooding in Pakistan, India, China and beyond. AmeriCares is assembling more resources and coordinating with partners to respond with targeted emergency relief as the flooding affects more regions and countries on the continent.
The DPRK is a flood prone country, and in addition to a program of on-going medical assistance, AmeriCares also has provided emergency relief in the past, most recently in 2007 when international support was called upon to cope with flooding that decimated 11% of the country’s crops. AmeriCares has been working with our DPRK counterparts to provide humanitarian assistance since 1997.
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