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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISASTER
EVENT:
Drought/Food Shortage
mATIm:
DAMAGES:
Cholla Namdo, Cholla Pukdo and I(yong:smg Wndo
Number of People Requiring Food Assistance
2,800,000
DESCRIPTION OF THE DISASTER
In 1967 the worst drought in more than 60 years fell on the provinces of
Cholla Pukdo, Cholla Namdo, Kyongsang Pukdo, Kyongsang Namdo, Cheju Do and
Pusan City (see Seventh Report). Over a million acres of crops were
damaged or destroyed. The Republic of Korea costs for drought relierf
programs in 1967 amounted to an
- estimated $50.7 million, while food
donated by the U. S. Government was
valued at $15.5 mlllion, including
ocean freight.
In May of 1968, repclrts began to ccme
in that abnormally l.ow rainfall had
raised the possibillty of significant
drought conditions f'or the second
straight year in sone of the same
SOUTH KOREA provinces. Pusan fa.ced an acute
shortage of water which resulted in
rationing. The outslkirts of Seoul were
also subjected to reduced water conditions.
Sufficient r&n was reported in
some parts of Korea in June but in
general rainfall corltinued to be below
nonnal. By August it was reported that
serious drought conclitions existed in
the three provinces of Chollo Namdo,
Chollo Pukdo and Kycmmang Namdo, and
that food assistance would be needed by
439,500 families f'rcm mid-August of
1968 through June of 1969.