OCHA Situation Report No. 16
DPR Korea: Floods
4 December 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This report is based on information from UN Agencies, IFRC, Programme 
Support Units (PSUs), the Government of the Democratic People's Republic 
of Korea, and the OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP).

SITUATION

1. Heavy rains from 7-14 August 2007 caused severe floods in nine 
provinces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including 
the capital city, Pyongyang. The floods affected almost one million 
people and displaced nearly 170,000. At least 454 people were reported 
dead and 156 people missing. The Government of DPRK reported more than 
40,000 houses completely destroyed, with a further 200,000 submerged or 
badly damaged. Thousands of schools, hospitals and other public 
buildings were destroyed or badly damaged. At least 10 per cent of 
agricultural land was inundated.

2. Rainstorms and strong winds caused by Typhoon Wipha from 17-20 
September led to further severe losses and damage: DPRK Red Cross 
Society estimated an additional 1,649 people were made homeless and over 
109,000 hectares of farmland damaged.

3. Frequent monitoring visits have been undertaken in the affected 
areas. Results of these suggest that the previously reported spike in 
diarrhoeal disease has returned to normal levels. Information materials 
and a nationwide campaign are expected to help keep these levels down.

4. Local authority concerns over potential flood-related food security 
for vulnerable groups have been expressed, but humanitarian partners 
await full harvest data from the Government, expected in January 2008.

5. Post-reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in residential housing 
and infrastructure appear to be progressing well, although detailed 
information on national rehabilitation efforts is unavailble.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

6. Observations from recent field trips confirm that rehabilitation of 
residential housing in flood-affected areas, led by national and 
provincial authorities, is progressing well. According to local 
officials, infrastructure rehabilitation is also nearing completion. 
More detailed and comprehensive information on national rehabilitation 
efforts is outstanding, although the National Coordinating Committee has 
indicated it would make such information available.  Comprehensive 
Government disease surveillance information for the flood-affected areas 
is also expected.

7. County officials are estimating that this year's harvest could be 
significantly affected because of the floods, although this has not been 
verified by international organizations or other observers. Official 
harvest data from the Ministry of Agriculture is expected in late 
January. In view of the potential for shortfall, many counties are 
reportedly planning to adjust the food basket and reduce rations 
provided through the Public Distributions System. Many officials have 
stated that WFP assistance will be needed to cover the post-floods gap, 
through support for food-for-community-development rehabilitation 
projects and as regular nutritional support to children and 
pregnant/lactating women.

COORDINATED IN-COUNTRY RESPONSE

Coordination and monitoring

8. Meetings are held between the UN Resident Coordinator, ad interim, 
and national counterparts at the National Coordinating Committee, 
although participation by national authorities is lower now than 
compared with the early stages of the emergency response. Observations 
from the field are shared between international aid providers in the 
regular sectoral meetings and shared with the broader resident 
international community in weekly inter-agency meetings, but 
comprehensive official information on the national response has not been 
made available. Monitoring continues to be carried out by sector 
partners and checked in the field among sectors as well, where possible.

9. A UN Country Team Emergency Preparedness and Planning workshop is 
currently being discussed, with the support of OCHA ROAP. The option of 
organizing such a workshop jointly with the Government of DPRK is under 
consideration.

Health and Nutrition

10. Preparations are complete for the nationwide campaign on diarrhoea 
prevention and hygiene promotion, to be launched this week on Child 
Health Day, 5 December. Supplies including 3 million ORS sachets, 
880,000 zinc tablets, 340,000 bars of soap and Korean-language leaflets 
on diarrhoea prevention and the use of zinc and ORS (1 million x 
diarrhoea and 500,000 x zinc tablet leaflets) were procured by UNCEF 
with CERF funding and were delivered to the affected counties. Some 50 
participants from resident diplomatic missions and international 
organizations will observe Child Health Day activities and the launch of 
the campaign in flood-affected areas.

11. UNICEF information materials on diarrhoea prevention and good 
hygiene promotion have been delivered by MoPH to IFRC-supported areas, 
as per an agreement between the two organizations. UNICEF continues 
monitoring activities to ensure aid is reaching the targeted health 
facilities and beneficiaries. As of 25 November more than twenty 
post-flood monitoring visits have been carried out by UNICEF staff. 
Estimated coverage of beneficiaries is over 5.5 million people in the 
flood-affected areas.

12. EUPS Unit 1 received its shipment of medical kits, which are to be 
distributed to the 11 targeted hospitals. Refurbishment of the operating 
theatre, roof and latrines of Kumchon County hospital (North Hwanghae 
province) is due to begin in mid-December.

13. IFRC has distributed 1,953 instrument kits to 56 counties; 388 
referral kits are expected to arrive to the country this week. Medical 
furniture for the identified 156 ri health facilities will be delivered 
by February 2008 and equipment later. During the rapid assessment of 
health facilities the staff were monitoring the assistance provided by 
IFRC and other agencies.

14. WHO staff visited 11 counties in South Pyongan, South and North 
Hwanghae provinces, and monitoring visits to four counties in North 
Pyongan province are complete. Emergency health supplies had reached the 
visited counties. Similar to other locations, field visits confirmed the 
initial increase in diarrhoeal disease in the aftermath of the floods by 
20-30 per cent above average, however the situation appears to have 
returned to normal. In case of any future increase in waterborne 
disease, sufficient stocks of ORS are reported.

15. Regular coordination among health partners for post-flood emergency 
activities continues. The WHO proposal of support on disease 
surveillance is still being considered by the MoPH.

Water and Sanitation

16. The Ministry of City Management (MoCM) agreed with the 
recommendation to carry out a centralized repair campaign of 
pumps/motors to be undertaken in Pyongyang and provincial capitals in 
February 2008. UNICEF has placed orders for necessary repair materials 
while initial supplies have been distributed to 26 flood affected 
counties and repairs to pumps are underway. UNICEF is compiling data on 
the number of pumps that are now functioning through provision of these 
basic repair materials.

17. The international technical team designed an emergency pump-based 
system, which could be constructed in counties where pump stations were 
washed away or beyond repair. Two pump stations in Koksan and Taetan 
counties were identified for urgent rehabilitation in March-April 2008, 
once the weather conditions allow construction works. UNICEF prepared a 
proposal on medium term rehabilitation of pump stations in additional 
flood-affected sites, which will shortly be shared with donors.

18. EUPS Unit 2 has completed 40 per cent of the repair works for the 
water supply project. Pumphouse rehabilitation in Yonggwang county is 
complete, while pump installation and other related works are expected 
to be completed by the second week of December. Pongsan pump station 
rehabilitation were completed with spare parts provided by EUPS 1 and 
water supply to Pongsan town and Sariwon city resumed from this pumping 
station.

19. Partners agreed to check on distribution of calcium hypochlorite 
supplied by UNICEF in their respective areas of work and feed back on 
its use to UNICEF.

Food Security

20. WFP completed the second cycle of food distributions consisting of 
some 4,801 tonnes of cereals to all 37 counties targeted under the EMOP. 
WFP also delivered the 10,366 tonnes of food planned under the EMOP, 
with the exception of 32 tonnes of vegetable oil, which is planned for 
distribution in December.

21. WFP is in discussions with the Government on the modalities of the 
evaluation of the EMOP, scheduled to take place in January 2008. Under 
the evaluation, all 37 target counties will be re-visited by WFP 
international staff for interviews with beneficiaries and local 
government authorities on the impact of WFP food aid. With the 
evaluation visit, all counties will have been visited three times 
throughout the course of the operation.

Education

22. Procurement of emergency supplies as identified together with the 
MoE (classroom furniture - 13,105 sets benefiting 26,210 students; 
classroom stationery kits and recreational kits - to cover 35,000 
children without classrooms and 261 damaged schools) is ongoing. 
Delivery of stationary and recreational kits is expected by the end of 
the year.

23. Monitoring visits by UNICEF staff have continued and covered all the 
counties where pre-positioned supplies were distributed. However, 
reliable information has to be channelled from national to county level 
in order to ensure that emergency supplies are appropriately used in the 
affected schools.

Agriculture

24. FAO completed a tender for procurement of 430 Metric Tonnes of 
barley seeds, 330 Metric Tonnes of urea fertilizer and 2,000 rolls of 
plastic sheeting that will soon be shipped to DPRK via Nampo Port.

25. The Ministry of Agriculture is working on a distribution plan for 
those inputs, with the aim of prioritizing the worst-affected farms, 
taking into consideration factors including availability of 
double-cropping areas and seed supplies.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

26. The DPRK Flash Appeal for USD 14.1 million remains at the 83 per 
cent funding level, with a further USD 1.3 million in unconfirmed 
pledges. For additional updates on all sectors and donors, please refer 
to the OCHA Financial Tracking Service (FTS) website - 
http://Reliefweb.int/fts

27. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing 
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA-managed ReliefWeb website at 
http://www.reliefweb.int.

For detailed information please contact

Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok;
Mr. Markus Werne, Mob. +66 81 917 8940, Tel. +66 2288 2558
Ms. Amanda Pitt ,Mob. +66 81 374 1035,Tel. +66 2288 1195

Desk Officer:
(NYC) Mr. Ivan Lupis, Tel. +1 917 367 5286

Press contact:
(NYC) Ms. Stephanie Bunker, Tel. +1 917 367 5126
(GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs,Tel. +41 22 917 2653

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