Shelterbox deliver glimpse into North Korean life after floods disaster
11:29am Monday 29th October 2007 in Video By Emma Goodfellow
Korean children prepare to open their new home
A glimpse into the life inside one of the world's most isolated regimes - North Korea - has been provided thanks to the disaster relief charity ShelterBox.
The Cornwall-based charity has just delivered 200 boxes containing tents and other equipment to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), after being asked by the country's government to help families left homeless by recent floods.
ShelterBox photographer Mark Pearson travelled with some of the boxes to Jigokri, a small village only about 25 miles from the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that divides the North and South Korea. The area is extremely sensitive and very few visitors to North Korea are allowed beyond the capital Pyongyang, let alone within such a short distance of the DMZ.
Mr Pearson said: "It was a strange experience visiting North Korea. I had to surrender my mobile phone at the border and had two party members accompanying me every minute of the day but I got to see a side of North Korea that very few people will ever see."
The charity's founder and chief executive, Tom Henderson, said: "North Korea is the 40th country to receive aid from ShelterBox and we reckon we've now provided help for more than 500,000 disaster victims worldwide. We operate irrespective of race, religion or political affiliation and that independence - as well as our links with the worldwide Rotary organisation - is one reason we are able to operate in so many places.
"Our concern is the needs of people who have lost their homes as the result of a disaster - politics doesn't matter when your house has been washed away - and we hope to be able to help further in North Korea in the future."
To see a video of Shelterbox in North Korea click on the play video link above. More pictures will be in this week's Packet.
