N. Korea seeks more aid

SEOUL, South Korea -- Impoverished North Korea asked South Korea for more help to recover from recent floods that left thousands homeless, asking Seoul on Tuesday for construction materials and heavy equipment for recovery efforts.

South Korea was already preparing to truck a $7.5 million emergency aid package to North Korea this week across their heavily fortified border, including instant noodles, drinking water, blankets and medicine.

The United Nations' food agency said it will begin sending emergency food aid to North Korea, an indication of the desperation of the regime for allowing the international assistance that is accompanied by strict monitoring. The World Food Program said in a statement issued Tuesday from Pyongyang that it will distribute food to 215,000 affected people during the next three months.

The heaviest rains in 40 years in the North killed at least 221 people while completely or partially destroying almost 60,000 homes, public buildings and up to 40 percent of the country's health facilities and supplies, according to international aid groups operating in North Korea.

On Tuesday, the North sent a request for more aid from the rival South in a message through the truce village of Panmunjom in the middle of the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula.

The South's Unification Ministry said in a statement that Seoul would determine what more to offer after internal consultations.

The flood damage has also caused a summit between leaders of the two Koreas to be delayed to early October, part of reconciliation between the longtime foes since the first such meeting in 2000.

The North's request came as an international aid group appealed for $5.5 million in aid to help North Korea recover from the disaster.

The appeal launched Monday by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is aimed at helping 3.7 million North Koreans who were affected by the deadly flooding that hit the North earlier this month.

"The situation is worsening as people are falling sick due to the poor hygiene conditions," Jaap Timmer, delegation head of the International Red Cross in Pyongyang, said in a statement released Monday.

Timmer also said a lot of North Koreans have been stricken with diarrhea due to contaminated water and that there are reports of an increase in acute respiratory infections, particularly among children.