North Korea Devastated by Flood, Drops Tough Guy Act and Requests International Assistance

More than 100,000 North Koreans have been displaced from their homes as floods from a storm that North Korea has described as the worst since World War II devastate the northeastern part of the country. 

Typhoon Lionrock hit northeast Asia on Aug. 30, and North Korea was uniquely unequipped to handle the natural disaster. Hundreds of people are dead or missing, more than 600,000 people no longer have a water supply and precious necessities such as gardens and livestock were swept away.

Insufficient building practices and misuse of natural resources have left North Korea especially vulnerable to flooding. Widespread deforestation and hills terraced for rice fields allowed the water to flow quickly and forcefully into villages.

A nationwide 200-day labor campaign intended to boost the economy has been redirected by the government to staunch the damage and help rebuild infrastructure. Prior to the flood, ongoing food shortages were already expected to worsen, underlining the absolute necessity of having homes during the brutal North Korean winter.

North Korea requesting international aid is highly unusual and directly weakens their projected image of a fully self-sufficient state. The request was made in English, which may be an indicator of how desperate the situation is.

Pyongyang hosts a group of staffers from 13 aid agencies, including agencies of the UN. However, international aid is currently spread thin as natural disasters and wars ravage the globe.

On Friday North Korea conducted their fifth, and largest, nuclear weapons test. North Korea is asking for aid from a beleaguered international community that is discussing increased sanctions against the country because of the nuclear testing.

Chris Staines, head of the Pyongyang office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, reminds donors that those hurt by the flooding are "normal, everyday people."