Flood Relief for North Korea
Torrential rains and tropical storms this summer have caused catastrophic flooding in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, creating a humanitarian crisis as thousands of people have lost homes, possessions, and livelihoods.
Damage reportedly has been extensive in farm regions, with 148,000 acres of land washed away or inundated. Forecasts call for continued heavy rains in the coming weeks, exacerbating the problem.
Samaritan’s Purse is responding by sending an airlift of emergency aid to help those in desperate need. A cargo plane filled with 100 tons of supplies departed from Charlotte, N.C. on Friday and arrived in Pyongyang Saturday evening.
"I want the North Koreans to know that there is a God who loves them," Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham said. “When I was in North Korea in May, I saw the country's increasingly dire needs. The recent flooding has made this situation even more acute.”
“People are people. God made and created each and every one of us. The Bible teaches us that those who have much should share with those who have little.”
The airlift includes heavy-duty plastic for temporary shelters, as well as blankets, cooking kits, hygiene items, high-capacity water filters, shovels, jerry cans, supplemental food, and medical supplies. Staff members will also travel to North Korea to observe the distribution of the aid.
Samaritan's Purse has worked in North Korea for more than a decade. Last August, another airlift of emergency supplies was sent in response to severe flooding. In 2008, Samaritan's Purse was part of a collaborative effort that delivered 71,000 metric tons of food to more than 900,000 people in two northwest provinces of the country.
Franklin Graham has visited the country four times, including in May when he and a delegation from Samaritan’s Purse spent several days in the nation to meet senior officials about humanitarian needs including agricultural, medical, and food needs.
Watch coverage of this airlift on the BBC News website.
