Harsh winter threatens thousands of homeless typhoon victims in dpr korea
19 September 2000

Approaching winter threatens thousands of people left homeless by severe storms that have swept through the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in recent weeks, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned today. The Federation is appealing for 950,000 Swiss francs (US$ 530,000) to provide immediate relief for three months to 6,000 victims who lost everything in flash floods caused by 30 hours of relentless rain brought on by a tropical typhoon 30-31 August - and whose plight was further exacerbated by a second typhoon which hit the same region on 14-16 September.

The typhoons hit the east coast of the country and caused widespread destruction of villages, harvests and infrastructure, especially in North and South Hamgyong provinces. The damage was intensified as the storm coincided with a tidal wave in the east Sea of Korea. The effects of the storm are reported to be the worst in this area in 30 years. More than 40 people lost their lives, and at least 10,000 people were made homeless. Water sources were destroyed or contaminated by the floods, increasing the risk of an outbreak of water-borne diseases. Many people are now living in makeshift shelters, and are seriously threatened as winter creeps in.

"Within the next month the temperature will drop to -10°C, and if these people will not have the opportunity to rebuild their houses soon, they will face serious difficulties," says Tomas Liew, head of the International Federation's delegation in DPR Korea. "The magnitude of the destruction is beyond belief. The flood waters have literally swept away whole parts of villages, leaving nothing but rocks and bricks behind."

The DPRK Red Cross, together with the Federation, responded immediately to the disaster by providing blankets and kitchen utensils from their emergency stock. Local Red Cross chapters also assisted authorities during the rescue phase, and provided first aid services for up to 200 people injured in the floods. After a joint Federation and DPRK Red Cross assessment mission to the storm-stricken South Hamgyong province, the immediate priorities have been identified as the distribution of non-food materials to the homeless. The Red Cross will provide shelter, blankets, cooking sets and plastic sheeting for 1,200 families, as well as cement to assist them in rebuilding their houses. The Red Cross will also install water and sanitation facilities to minimize the risk of the spread of water-borne disease.

The extent of the damage of this disaster has not yet been fully assessed, but the country is still recovering from a series of natural disasters in 1994 and 1999, which have caused extensive hardship.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

Bangkok: Omar Valdimarsson, Regional information delegate,
tel. +66-2-661-6933/+66-1-823-9218
Beijing: Richard Grove-Hills, Head of regional office,
tel. +86 10 6523 1740/+86 135 0120 5973
Geneva: Solveig Olafsdottir, Information Officer,
tel. +41 22 730 42 / +41 79 217 3372

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.