hankyoreh

By Gil Yun-hyung, staff reporter
North Korea suffered major flooding in mid-July due to heavy rains and typhoon activity on the Korean Peninsula.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on July 28 that 88 people were killed and another 134 injured amid a typhoon and heavy rains that struck between July 18 and 24.
It also said some 5,000 homes had been destroyed, leaving 62,900 people affected, while 4,760 hectares of farmland was lost or buried, with 25,500 ha suffering flooding damages. The hardest-hit areas were the rice bowl regions of Pyongan and Hwanghae Provinces, as well as parts of Hanmgyeong Province.
The KCNA went on to report Sunday that heavy rains and thunderstorms had hit the majority of the country, including Pyongyang and North and South Pyongan Provinces, as a seasonal rain front moved toward the center of the country.
“Major damages are predicted for most of the regions due to the heavy rains and winds,” the agency reported.
Japan’s NHK network also reported mid-July flooding in various regions of North Korea due to the effects of the recent seventh typhoon, Khahnun. It expressed concerns that the country’s food shortage could worsen if the damages turn out to be severe.
The New York Times quoted agricultural experts as saying North Korea was still “ill-prepared to deal with floods and droughts, as well as the food shortages they cause.” It noted that the United Nations had asked for US$198 million in humanitarian aid in June to address the chronic food shortage and malnutrition affecting two-thirds of the population.
On July 30, the Korea Meteorological Administration predicted anywhere from 20 to 80 millimeters of rain accompanied by thunder and lightning would fall in early August as well, mainly in southern Hwanghae and South Hamgyeong Provinces.
　
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