DPR Korea: North & South Hwanghae Flood (as of 7 September 2018)

Overview

On 29 and 30 August, persistent heavy rains over a 48-hour period caused flash floods in North and South Hwanghae Provinces, in the south-west of DPR Korea. According to Government data, nearly 10,700 people have been displaced from their homes. At least 76 people are known to have died and many hundreds more are injured or missing. Numbers are expected to rise as further assessments are conducted.

Thousands of houses in North and South Hwanghae have been damaged or completely destroyed by the flood waters, and people have reportedly lost all their personal belongings. Public buildings, kindergartens and infrastructure such as railways, roads and bridges have also been destroyed, which has left many areas inaccessible.

Immediate needs

Initial assessments indicate the immediate need for food, nutrition, health, water and sanitation, shelter and disaster risk reduction. The latter is important given the vulnerability of affected communities to further heavy rains and floods.
According to Government reports, in North and South Hwanghae, 17,000 hectares of agricultural land has been impacted by the floods. Many of the crops that were washed had been nearing harvest, raising concerns about the negative impacts on food production and people’s longer-term food security.