North Korea
A United Nations team will visit North Korea from today to assess damage caused by recent floods, with a view to developing an aid plan, a UN official has said. It is the highest-profile delegation allowed into the secretive state since its new leader took power seven months ago.
The planned trip follows a meeting between UN and North Korean officials yesterday, at which Pyongyang presented its assessment of the damage.
North Korea remains one of the most isolated states in the world. That has not changed since Kim Jong-un took office, although floods have provided opportunities before for contact with the outside world.
Official media has reported that floods caused by torrential rainfalls between July 18th and 25th killed 88 people, left tens of thousands homeless and damaged agricultural areas. On top of that, the country’s KCNA news agency said an additional 400mm of rain had fallen in the 24 hours to yesterday morning. The floods come after a period of drought and are certain to lift food prices. – (Reuters)