"There is still much to do. Many people lost everything," said the president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. "They need basic relief supplies to get through the winter months and more investment is needed to restore health services, water supply and sanitation systems together with mass awareness campaigns to guard against the spread of communicable diseases".
Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Thousands of people who survived floods that hit a remote corner of North Korea in August need urgent aid as winter sets in, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said.
As a result of the floods, which affected 600,000 people and left 70,000 homeless, "There is still much to do. Many people lost everything," IFRC president Tadateru Konoé said in a news release following a 10-day visit to the affected region.
Flood victims “need basic relief supplies to get through the winter months and more investment is needed to restore health services, water supply and sanitation systems together with mass awareness campaigns to guard against the spread of communicable diseases".
In September, the IFRC made a US$ 15.5 million emergency appeal to help North Korea's Red Cross Society reach more people with aid, but only 25 per cent of the target had been met, the IFRC noted.