10 units of Singapore-made PedalPure were delivered to the various floods-affected counties in the DPR Korea to help address the current shortage of potable water and prepare flood-prone communities for future crises.
Multiple and widespread floods caused by persistent rains from the southwest monsoon and typhoons rendered more than 200,000 Koreans homeless and destroying much of their agricultural farmlands which were due for harvest.
Developed by Singaporean humanitarian NGO, Mercy Relief (MR), the PedalPure is a water filtration system which churns clean water at the rate of 700 litres/hour through cycling on the machine. Its membranes can filter bacteria and solid particles as small as 0.01 microns in size. With the shortage of diesel at the floods-hit rural and remote areas where many of the communities’ water sources have been contaminated by landslides and overflowing rivers, the 38-kilogram manual-powered PedalPure helps address the ground challenges appropriately.
MR team demonstrating the use and maintenance of the PedalPure to local disaster management officials in Ryong Ho rural sub-district, Yonggang County.
The 39-kg PedalPure is designed for easy handling and transfer.
Local officials and MR Chief Executive Hassan Ahmad assessing the devastation at Hwaraggu village, Chonnae County, which was hit by Typhoon Bolaven.
60% of the homes in Chonnae County were severely damaged or buried by an avalanche of boulders and landslides leaving more than 6,000 villagers displaced.
The elderly and children are the worst affected as they try to regain their lives back to normalcy.
Aid totaling more than SGD300,000 delivered to the Korean flood victims was provided by the donations from the public, social and religious institutions and corporations in Singapore. But more still needs to be done for the tens of thousands who are still homeless and lacking of basic necessities including clean water, hygiene essentials, homes and schools for the children.
78,000 packs of Mercy-Ready-Meals (MRMs) comprising nutritious red and green bean meals arrived in DPRK from Singapore for distribution at badly-affected counties including Onchun, Chonnae and Yonggang.
Disaster Management Agency’s Chief Executive Mun Ho and MR CE Hassan at the start of the Edong bridge’s reconstruction in September.
The MR team personally monitoring the progress of the reconstruction of the Edong bridge in October.
70% of the Edong bridge has been completed, which would connect more than 8,000 people.
Villagers would no longer need to negotiate long detours and rough terrains when the Edong bridge is completed
About Mercy Relief
Mercy Relief is a Singaporean humanitarian organisation which engages in both disaster relief and sustainable development programmes. It was established in 2003 as an independent non-governmental humanitarian charity responding to the human tragedies in Asia. Mercy Relief’s aid programme focuses on providing timely and effective assistance to disaster-stricken communities and has maintained the delivery of emergency aid within 72 hours from the point of appeal for assistance.
In the past 12 years, Mercy Relief has disbursed over S$32 million in aid across 40 disaster relief and 53 sustainable development initiatives. Mercy Relief has impacted an aggregate of 2 million lives in 24 countries and areas, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Yemen.
For more information, you may call us at 6514 6322 or email corporateaffairs@mercyrelief.org
