Sunday, August 5, 2012

North Korea's Katrina

A photo is worth a thousand words:

"Floods follow drought in North Korea" Associated Press, July 31, 2012

People waited on the roof of a house Monday in Anju, one of the North Korean cities hardest hit by flooding.
People waited on the roof of a house Monday in Anju, one of the North Korean cities hardest hit by flooding (Kim Kwang Hyon/Associated press).

ANJU, North Korea — More heavy rain pounded North Korea on Monday, submerging buildings, cutting off power, flooding rice paddies, and forcing people and their livestock to climb onto rooftops for safety.

The rain follows downpours earlier this month that killed nearly 90 people and left more than 60,000 homeless, officials said. The floods come on the heels of a severe drought, fueling renewed food worries about a country that already struggles to feed its people.

These guys won't be a military threat for a while. They are going to have plenty of problems inside their own borders. 

Two-thirds of North Korea’s 24 million people face chronic food shortages, a United Nations report said last month. South Korean analyst Kwon Tae Jin said the recent flooding, coming so soon after the dry spell, will probably worsen the North’s food problems.   

I know the world food supply is under strain; however, why can't we deliver food like we deliver missiles?

On Sunday and Monday, rain hit the capital Pyongyang and other regions, with western coastal areas reporting heavy damage.

In Anju city in South Phyongan Province, officials reported that 1,000 houses and buildings were destroyed and 5,680 acres of farmland were completely covered.

Kim Kwang Dok, vice chairman of the Anju City People’s Committee, said the disaster is the worst in the city’s history.

Helicopters flew to various areas to rescue flood victims, state media reported. Casualties from the latest rains were not immediately reported.

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"UN says North Korea needs food aid" Associated Press, August 03, 2012

SEOUL — North Korea needs immediate food assistance after heavy rains killed scores of people and submerged vast swaths of farmland, a UN office said Thursday....

Floods caused by two storm systems last month killed at least 119 people and left tens of thousands homeless, according to the North's media....

The flooding, which occurred on the heels of a severe drought, renewed concerns about North Korea’s ability to feed its people. In June, the UN said two-thirds of the country’s 24 million people are coping with chronic food shortages.

--more--"

The death toll rises as the belly becomes more empty:

"170 die in floods across N. Korea

SEOUL — North Korea said recent floods have killed nearly 170 people and left 400 missing. The official Korean Central News Agency said that floods displaced about 212,200 people and submerged more than 160,000 acres of farmland between June and July (AP)."  

Related: Korean Floods and Famine 

Yeah, the two go great together.  Same time next year?

Koreans United Against United States 

We do seem to have the ability to bring people together through our military.

Also see: N. Korea leader calls for economic growth