UN officials visits flood-hit areas in North Korea

The UN resident coordinator in North Korea, Tapan Mishra, has taken part in a joint mission with the government and humanitarian agencies in the country to visit some of the areas hardest hit earlier by devastating floods, a UN spokesman said.

Nearly 12,000 families in the North Hamgyong province whose homes were destroyed have since moved into new homes, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.

"International organisations have been providing food, shelter, medicine, water and sanitation relief, among other items," Xinhua news agency quoted Dujarric as saying.

"Some agencies have also contributed towards roofing for the new homes and public institutions such as schools, health clinics and hospitals," he added.

The floods have left 133 people dead and another 395 missing, according to a report given by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The official news agency KCNA said in an earlier report that the floods were caused by the strongest storms and heaviest downpours since 1945.

Nearly 12,000 families in North Korea have moved into new houses three months after devastating Typhoon Lionrock destroyed their homes.

Local authorities in North Hamgyong province say that repairs were made to 17,698 households, including 11,928 new homes built for families.

At the end of August, Typhoon Lionrock struck North Korea, damaging many lives and property, and bringing the cost of the response to be $29 million, according to Flood Emergency Response Plan.

--IANS

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