North Korea: Homes flooded till their roofs, roads damaged as heavy rains unleash calamity

Following days of heavy rains and flooding, North Korea's state media reported that more than 1,100 homes had been damaged, thousands had been evacuated, and roads and farms had been washed away. It comes at a time when North Korea, which is cut off from most foreign imports and aid due to self-imposed border restrictions and international sanctions, is becoming increasingly concerned about crop damage and the possible impact on food supplies.

Flood strikes in North Korea

It rained heavily in North and South Hamgyong province, according to state broadcaster KRT. Homeowners had their roofs flooded, and bridges and dikes had been destroyed. In North Hamgyong, the National Hydro-Meteorological Administration's deputy director Ri Yong Nam said there had been more than 500 millimeters of rain from Sunday through Tuesday, August 3, whereas in South Hamgyong there had been above-average rainfall.

Colin Zwirko, the Senior Analytic Correspondent at NK News, shared some images of flood-stricken areas in a tweet. "We revealed extensive flood damage in North Korea using satellite imagery on Weds, now KCTV admits it with video of the broken bridges, destroyed homes, and fields in the same exact areas. These images are in Sinhung main town and surrounding area," the tweet said.

Country's future dependant on harvests amid food shortage

The leader of North Korea said in June that the country faced a "tense" food situation, and much of its future depends on this year's harvests. As part of efforts to prevent damage from flooding, state media have shown work on staking down dikes and improving bridges, ditches, and other infrastructure. The South Korean Foreign Minister and the United States Secretary of State discussed humanitarian aid to North Korea in a phone call on Friday, August 6, both offices announced in a statement.