Tens of thousands of North Koreans have seen their crops washed away and their homes severely damaged by severe flooding in recent months. The country’s northern and eastern provinces have been particularly hard hit by severe storms that have swollen riverbanks. Thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes in search of refuge on drier ground.

In response to this crisis, Samaritan’s Purse airlifted some 90 tons of relief supplies to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The flight departed from Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday, Aug. 31, carrying tons of medicines, 14,000 blankets, hundreds of rolls of plastic, 12,500 hygiene kits, and a large, community water filter.

The plane landed in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, on Sept. 2, where the supplies were off-loaded and transported to the worst-affected areas of the country. Our team has already begun training people how to use the water purification packets.

North Korean officials have said they are very grateful for the help from Samaritan's Purse.

“Relations between the governments of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the U.S. have been strained, but despite our political differences, the people of North Korea are suffering from torrential floods that have ruined crops, washed out bridges, and destroyed homes,” Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham said. “While much of the world’s attention is on Pakistan, and rightfully so, the suffering of the people in North Korea cannot be overlooked.”

Samaritan’s Purse has worked in North Korea for more than a decade, and this is the second time we have airlifted relief supplies to the country in response to a natural catastrophe. Most recently, we have equipped a school to train dozens of dentists each year and installed generators to provide electricity to rural hospitals.

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Samaritan's Purse , North Korea , Emergency Relief , An Airlift of Hope