hankyoreh

Floods in August destroyed hundreds of schools across North Korea and about 35,000 students are without classrooms, according to the United Nations Children's Fund.

In an e-mail interview with Voice of America on September 14, UNICEF's office in Pyongyang said 316 buildings in 261 schools were fully or partly destroyed. In addition, 81 school buildings in Gangwon and South Pyeongan provinces were fully destroyed by the devastating floods, according to the report.

UNICEF said many schools were washed away as levees or nearby dams collapsed. Although North Korea's education ministry lets children study at nearby schools by separating them into two groups, difficulty remains as many students must travel to the next closest school or hold classes outside, the U.N. agency said. In addition, some students are exposed to danger as they study in schools with no roof, UNICEF said.

UNICEF spokesperson Veronique Taveau said the agency has already donated emergency school supplies to North Korea, and plans to give chairs and desks.

On August 27, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) appealed for emergency funds worth US$14 million to aid North Korea's flood victims in five sectors: food, health, agriculture, education, and water and sanitation. OCHA spokesman Stephanie Bunker said no aid was offered for the North's education sector. Many countries and aid groups are paying attention to matters such as food, health, and aid facilities, but they seem to pay little attention to the importance of continuing education for children after a disaster strikes.