Thousands of hectares of rice paddy lay under one metre or more of water

Rick Corsino, WFP

The agency chief in North Korea, Rick Corsino, said the rains that hit the east coast on the ninth and 10th of October were the worst experienced in the area in living memory.

The agency said 400mm (18 inches) of rain fell in a 12-hour period

The agency said it was sending 1,850 tonnes of wheat to the worst-hit Kangwon province in the east.

Roads and infrastructure were also damaged

They said it was enough to feed 145,000 of those worst affected until the end of next month when locally grown rice and vegetables become available.

They said an estimated 50,000 tonnes of unprocessed rice was destroyed by the floods.

Correspondents say although flooding was confined to a relatively small area, any damage risked aggravating an already precarious food situation in the country, where only 20% of the land is arable.

WFP is also working with North Korean authorities to identify potential food-for-work projects.

Possible projects include reforestation, rebuilding sea dykes and river embankments, and deepening streams.