40% of N. Korean population suffers from food shortage: UN
- 5 years ago
유엔 "北인구 40% 식량부족 직면"... 한미워킹그룹서 대북식량지원 논의하나
North Korea’s food crisis appears to be worsening by the day amid toughest-ever sanctions still imposed on the regime.
The isolated kingdom is now publicly stressing its serious food shortage through local media,... while UN food agencies are giving warnings that millions will suffer from lack of food.
Oh Jung-hee has the very latest.
The UN's food agencies are calling for humanitarian assistance for North Korea... as over 10 million people -- or about 40-percent of the population -- are suffering from a food shortage.
The United Nation's World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization conducted an on-ground assessment in April.
On Friday, they announced... Pyeongyang needs almost 1-point-4 million tons of food aid -- or else, millions more will suffer.
Due to heatwaves, floods and landslides, the North produced less than 5 million tons of crops last year the lowest in the past 10 years.
Recently, the regime has shown that it's struggling to fight the food crisis on its own,... with the state-run media continually highlighting the domestic food shortage and urging people to increase crop yield.
On Friday, the North's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun called on the people to find every piece of land that can grow grain.
Earlier this week, the paper reported that rice is more precious than gold... and urged farmers to lead the way in destroying sanctions.
North Korea has requested support from international organizations.
South Korea says it's monitoring Pyeongyang's food situation... though there's no plan yet to provide food aid.
"Humanitarian aid should continue to improve North Korea's humanitarian situations. We share this view with the U.S. as well. We're keeping an eye on the food circumstances in the North and the recent survey done by WFP and FAO."
But there is speculation that Seoul could soon discuss the issue of providing food assistance to the North with Washington.
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, is set to visit Seoul next week for a bilateral working group meeting.
"In a bid to restart stalled nuclear negotiations with North Korea,… South Korea and the U.S. could consider offering humanitarian assistance,… in particular, food aid. However, it’s unclear how the North would react. Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News."
North Korea’s food crisis appears to be worsening by the day amid toughest-ever sanctions still imposed on the regime.
The isolated kingdom is now publicly stressing its serious food shortage through local media,... while UN food agencies are giving warnings that millions will suffer from lack of food.
Oh Jung-hee has the very latest.
The UN's food agencies are calling for humanitarian assistance for North Korea... as over 10 million people -- or about 40-percent of the population -- are suffering from a food shortage.
The United Nation's World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization conducted an on-ground assessment in April.
On Friday, they announced... Pyeongyang needs almost 1-point-4 million tons of food aid -- or else, millions more will suffer.
Due to heatwaves, floods and landslides, the North produced less than 5 million tons of crops last year the lowest in the past 10 years.
Recently, the regime has shown that it's struggling to fight the food crisis on its own,... with the state-run media continually highlighting the domestic food shortage and urging people to increase crop yield.
On Friday, the North's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun called on the people to find every piece of land that can grow grain.
Earlier this week, the paper reported that rice is more precious than gold... and urged farmers to lead the way in destroying sanctions.
North Korea has requested support from international organizations.
South Korea says it's monitoring Pyeongyang's food situation... though there's no plan yet to provide food aid.
"Humanitarian aid should continue to improve North Korea's humanitarian situations. We share this view with the U.S. as well. We're keeping an eye on the food circumstances in the North and the recent survey done by WFP and FAO."
But there is speculation that Seoul could soon discuss the issue of providing food assistance to the North with Washington.
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, is set to visit Seoul next week for a bilateral working group meeting.
"In a bid to restart stalled nuclear negotiations with North Korea,… South Korea and the U.S. could consider offering humanitarian assistance,… in particular, food aid. However, it’s unclear how the North would react. Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News."