U.N. agencies say North Korea needs immediate food assistance in the wake of heavy rains that killed scores and left vast swaths of farmland submerged in water.

That assessment was released Thursday by the U.N. resident coordinator's office in Pyongyang following visits to flood-stricken areas in North Korea earlier this week.

North Korea says downpours last month killed at least 119 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

The U.N. says torrential rains also caused severe damage to homes, public buildings, infrastructure and farms, affecting maize, soybean and rice fields.

The flooding comes amid concerns about North Korea's ability to feed its people. In June, the U.N. said two-thirds of the country's 24 million people are coping with chronic food shortages.