North Korea has long struggled with food shortages, but the United Nations is warning that this year may be the worst in decades. UN resident coordinator for North Korea Ghulam Isaczai said he was deeply concerned about the impact of a recent severe drought, which has raised fears of a famine.
Annual rainfall in the North is at a 30-year record low, affecting reservoirs and hydroelectric power production. The UN official said food insecurity already affects 70 percent of the North's roughly 25 million residents. To cover the shortages, Pyongyang may have to reach out to neighboring countries such as China, India and Russia, Isaczai said. |