UN set for North Korea flood aid

Heavy rains continue to pound parts of North Korea, disrupting a clean up operation from major floods that have killed 88 people.

A United Nations team visited affected provinces
on Tuesday to decide whether to commit millions of euros in aid to a country that already struggles to feed its people.

More than 60,000 people were left homeless by a week long downpour earlier this month. 30,000 hectares of farmland became submerged.

Over the weekend, western coastal areas reported severe damage from heavy rainfall. The capital Pyongyang was also hit.

The floods have come on the back of a major drought in the Communist state that remains isolated from the rest of the world.

Recently a UN report claimed two thirds of North Korea’s 24 million population face chronic food shortages.

Food prices have increased sharply in recent months, with the cost of rice now said to be beyond the reach of ordinary households.

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