China NKorea Floods
AP-APTN-0930: China NKorea Floods
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
STORY:China NKorea Floods- Red Cross official comment on seriousness of flooding in NKorea
LENGTH: 02:07
FIRST RUN: 0730
RESTRICTIONS: See Script
TYPE: English/Nats
SOURCE: AP TELEVISION/AP PHOTOS
STORY NUMBER: 852571
DATELINE: Various - 31/30 July 2012
LENGTH: 02:07
SHOTLIST:
AP PHOTOS - NO ACCESS CANADA/FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY - STRICTLY NO ACCESS ONLINE OR MOBILE
Onchon County, North Korea - 30 July 2012
1. STILL of bridge supporting railway lines destroyed after heavy rain
2. STILL of man walking over damaged bridge after heavy rain
AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Beijing, China - 31 July 2012
3. Wide of East Asia Communications Delegate for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Francis Markus
4. Mid of Markus looking at photographs on computer
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Francis Markus, East Asia Communications Delegate for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent:
"Our assessment teams on the ground have reported back that the most serious needs are shelter and also food security with so many crops having been damaged. Drinking water is a critical issue with the water systems having been taken out of action and there's obviously a danger of water-born diseases if things are not done to improve the situation."
AP PHOTOS - NO ACCESS CANADA/FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY - STRICTLY NO ACCESS ONLINE OR MOBILE
Anju City, South Phyongan Province, North Korea - 30 July 2012
6. STILL of residents waiting on the roof of a flooded house
7. Various STILLS of zodiac boats with rescue personnel going by flooded building
8. STILL of man and pig standing on dry top of building above flood waters
AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Beijing, China - 31 July 2012
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Francis Markus, East Asia Communications Delegate for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent:
"In DPRK, the humanitarian situation has not really shown any clear signs of improvement over recent years. In fact, there's been a gradual deterioration, and communities' coping mechanisms and their resilience is stretched to the limit. Then obviously you are going to see a potential aggravation of an already difficult situation in terms of food security, in terms of health and in terms of other indicators of communities' well-being."
AP PHOTOS - NO ACCESS CANADA/FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY - STRICTLY NO ACCESS ONLINE OR MOBILE
Anju City, South Phyongan Province, North Korea - 30 July 2012
10. STILL of residents waiting on roof of a shop
11. STILL of residents waiting on the roof of a flooded house
STORYLINE
North Korea has been pounded by two days of heavy rain, cutting off power and leaving buildings submerged and rice paddies flooded.
On Tuesday, United Nations staff visited the hard-hit South Phyongan and Kangwon provinces to see what help the United Nations team in the country might provide.
The rain on Sunday and Monday followed downpours earlier this month that killed nearly 90 people and left more than 60-thousand homeless, officials said.
The floods also come on the heels of a severe drought, fuelling renewed food worries about a country that already struggles to feed its people.
Two-thirds of North Korea's 24 (m) million people face chronic food shortages, a UN report said last month.
"Our assessment teams on the ground have reported back that the most serious needs are shelter and also food security with so many crops having been damaged," said Red Cross representative Francis Markus in Beijing.
"Drinking water is a critical issue with the water systems having been taken out of action and there's obviously a danger of water-born diseases if things are not done to improve the situation," he added.
On Sunday and Monday, rain hit the capital, Pyongyang, and other regions, with western coastal areas reporting heavy damage.
In Anju city in South Phyongan, officials reported 1-thousand houses and buildings were destroyed and 2,300 hectares (5,680 acres) of farmland were completely covered.
The Chongchon River in Anju city flooded on Monday, cutting communication lines and submerging rice paddies and other fields, according to local officials.
Boats made their way through the muddy water that covered the city's streets on Monday.
Many residents sat on their homes' roofs and walls, watching the rising water.
A young man wearing only underwear stood on a building's roof with two pigs; four women sat on another rooftop with two dogs.
Markus said that for many in North Korea, the recent flooding would exacerbate an already desperate predicament.
"The humanitarian situation has not really shown any clear signs of improvement over recent years. In fact, there's been a gradual deterioration, and communities' coping mechanisms and their resilience is stretched to the limit," he said.
State media reported that helicopters had flown to various areas to rescue flood victims, but casualties from the latest rains were not immediately reported.
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APEX 07-31-12 0539EDT