Damage reportedly has been extensive in farm regions, with 148,000 acres of land washed away or inundated. Forecasts call for continued heavy rains in the coming weeks, exacerbating the problem.
A cargo plane, which departed from Charlotte, N.C., on Friday and arrived in Pyongyang Saturday evening, carried heavy-duty plastic for temporary shelters, as well as blankets, cooking kits, hygiene items, high-capacity water filters, shovels, jerry cans, supplemental food, and medical supplies.
The U.S. State Department has allocated $900,000 to American organizations to deliver flood relief to the country. Samaritan’s Purse is adding $1.2 million of aid.
Samaritan’s Purse has worked in North Korea for more than a decade. Last August, it sent another airlift of emergency supplies in response to severe flooding. In 2008, Samaritan's Purse was part of a collaborative effort that delivered 71,000 metric tons of food to more than 900,000 people in two northwestern provinces of the country.
