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International Red Cross goes on alert in North Korea on flood damage
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) emergency operations staff is on a 24-hour alert to monitor flood damages in North Korea and has distributed aid kits to some 500 families, its Web site said Monday.
A bulletin dated Sunday said the torrential rain that started Aug. 5 has caused serious flooding in many parts of North Korea.
"People have been evacuated and brought to safety," the IFRC Web site said, and county governments are "appealing to cooperative farms to donate emergency food for homeless people."
"Warnings of high tides have been issued on national television. Indeed, weather forecasts predict continued heavy rains until Aug. 17."
The Red Cross emergency operations room is on a 24-hour alert, it said, with its staff in the field assessing damage.
In a rare admission of a crisis, North Korea's state run news agency said Monday the downpour so far has left hundreds of people dead or missing and destroyed more than 30,000 homes for 63,300 families.
The Korean Central News Agency said hundreds of public buildings, bridges and railway sections also were destroyed.
ldm@yna.co.kr
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