People waited on the roof of a house in Anju, one of the North Korean cities hardest hit by flooding, 30 July 2012. Kim Kwang Hyon / Associated press

ANJU, North Korea – More heavy rain pounded North Korea on Monday, submerging buildings, cutting off power, flooding rice paddies, and forcing people and their livestock to climb onto rooftops for safety. The rain follows downpours earlier this month that killed nearly 90 people and left more than 60,000 homeless, officials said. The floods come on the heels of a severe drought, fueling renewed food worries about a country that already struggles to feed its people. Two-thirds of North Korea’s 24 million people face chronic food shortages, a United Nations report said last month. South Korean analyst Kwon Tae Jin said the recent flooding, coming so soon after the dry spell, will probably worsen the North’s food problems. 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 Province, officials reported that 1,000 houses and buildings were destroyed and 5,680 acres of farmland were completely covered. Kim Kwang Dok, vice chairman of the Anju City People’s Committee, said the disaster is the worst in the city’s history. Helicopters flew to various areas to rescue flood victims, state media reported. Casualties from the latest rains were not immediately reported.

Floods follow drought in North Korea

SEOUL, South Korea, 1 August 2012 (AP) – North Korea says dozens more people have been killed or reported missing because of heavy rainfall this week. The announcement Wednesday comes a day after U.N. staff visited storm-pounded areas to assess damage and investigate the needs of flood victims. Earlier rains killed 88 and left more than 60,000 others homeless. Before the downpours, North Korea suffered a severe drought. The country’s official Korean Central News Agency says heavy rain that hit western and eastern coastal areas on Sunday and Monday killed 31 and left 16 others missing. The Red Cross says fact-finding teams in North Korea report that people desperately need clean drinking water, food, and shelter. The U.N. said in June that two-thirds of North Korea’s 24 million people face chronic food shortages.

North Korea reports dozens more killed in latest downpours, as UN visits to assess damage