UN Reports Worsening Food Insecurity Situation in North Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] A UN agency has projected that North Korea's food insecurity situation will worsen.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) estimated in their joint report released on the 30th (local time), titled "Emergency Food Insecurity Early Warning: August?November 2021 Outlook," that North Korea's annual grain deficit from November last year to October this year amounts to 860,000 tons.

Based on North Korea Central Bureau of Statistics' food situation data and analysis from FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), the report states that North Korea's grain import requirement during this period is about 1.1 million tons, similar to the average of the past five years, but the official import volume is only 205,000 tons.

The report notes that the deficit of 860,000 tons corresponds to about 2.3 months of consumption in North Korea and cites access restrictions and trade controls imposed by the authorities as the main causes of the food crisis.

Accordingly, the report stated, "Since the early stages of the pandemic, North Korea has implemented strong policies restricting trade and domestic movement and controlling its borders," adding, "The authorities have severely limited and tightly controlled humanitarian access."

The report also mentioned that North Korea's crop yields were affected by extreme weather conditions such as heavy rains and typhoons in August and September last year, and forecasted that typhoon activity will peak again from August to October this year.

It pointed out that if North Korea does not receive support for its food deficit, residents may endure harsh times during this period.

The report emphasized the need to provide channels for the North Korean government to increase grain imports and support measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Economic Research Service under the U.S. Department of Agriculture also recently named North Korea, along with Mongolia and Yemen, as one of the three countries in Asia with the worst food situations in its "International Food Security Assessment 2021-2031" report.

The report estimated North Korea's food deficit this year at 1.04 million tons and projected that 16.3 million people (63.1%) will experience food insecurity this year.