International Red Cross emergency relief for North Korea

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will provide the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with an emergency relief fund worth 320,000 USD to help flood victims in the country, the report released on August 1 by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said.

According to the report, the IFRC has allocated 299,744 Swiss francs (nearly $320,000) from its disaster relief fund “to help the Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea provide direct assistance to 5,000 families or 20,000 people in need.”

Flood in North Korea in July 2012. (Source: AP)

Heavy rains since early July have caused widespread flooding and landslides across the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, killing 33 people, injuring two, and leaving 18 others missing. An estimated 4,000 families have lost their homes and 50,000 others have been displaced by the floods.

The IFRC plans to spend $120,000 to set up shelters for 5,000 families in the worst-affected areas of North and South Pyongan Province and North Hwanghae Province.

Another $100,000 will be spent on purchasing essential supplies and $40,700 on water supply, sanitation and workplace hygiene. Relief operations will continue for the next three months until the end of October 2013.

To ensure an accurate assessment of the situation, the IFRC has dispatched an eight-member team of experts to the affected areas to conduct damage assessments and provide necessary relief.

This relief fund is a dedicated source of money established by the IFRC in 1985 to ensure immediate financial support in case of emergency situations./.

According to (TTXVN) - DT