When Typhoon Lionrock swept through North Korea from late August to early September, it destroyed tens of thousands of buildings and left thousands homeless and even more destitute than they were before. The destruction was so severe that the KCNA declared that it the ‘biggest cataclysm’ since [1945’s] Liberation (though one would think that that dubious honor ought to belong to the Korean War).

The United Nations said that it needed close to US$30 million to repair the damages. Considering the fact that winter will soon be arriving, where temperatures look set to fall well below freezing, the actual price tag may end up being much more. For those unfortunate souls who have lost everything they had, saying that they need urgent help is an understatement.