|
 International aid agencies as well as North Korea state media have
been warning that erratic weather with drought and floods, and a
lack of access to resources could lead to a food crisis in a country
under strict international sanctions over leader Kim Jong Un's
pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
"We are already seeing the impacts of this drought on vulnerable
people," Mohamed Babiker, head of the IFRC's office in North Korea,
said in a statement.
"Rates of malnutrition and water borne diseases like diarrhea and
colitis are on the rise."
After an assessment in May concluded that this year's harvest would
be less than half what it should be, the IFRC spent 250,000 Swiss
francs ($253,787) on deploying mobile water pumps, which were able
to double crop yields in the targeted areas, the organization said.
"Water pumps and irrigation supplies can make a significant
difference," Babiker said, calling for an additional 472,000 Swiss
francs ($479,284) for more agricultural and sanitation supplies.
North Korea increased imports of fertilizer and food products last
year, according to trade data compiled by the United Nations.
But the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a
Washington-based think tank, documented in a report this week how
North Korea also continues to import millions of dollars worth of
luxury goods, including at least two armored limousines valued at
$500,000 each.
South Korea’s intelligence agency told lawmakers on Tuesday that
drought had hit the North Korean economy which already faces
difficulties such as widening trade deficits, foreign currency
shortages and a deepening cash crunch due to sanctions.
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Rainfall in North Korea has fallen by more than 30% this year from a
year before, and there are signs of a deteriorating food situation,
according to Lee Eun-jae, one of the lawmakers briefed by the spy
agency.
"North Korea is expected to exhaust its crop reserves earlier than
usual this year," Lee told reporters.
South Korea has said it would donate $4.5 million to the U.N. World
Food Programme (WFP), and announced it was also providing 50,000
tonnes of rice for delivery to its northern neighbor.
South Korea also recently donated $3.5 million to the U.N.
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for humanitarian projects in North Korea.
Last week, North Korea state news agency KCNA said a campaign to
mitigate the effects of drought was under way by digging canals and
wells, installing pumps, and using people and vehicles to transport
water.
The official television broadcaster on Monday warned of further
damage in the upcoming rainy season. It said the country suffered
from floods in June, showing submerged buildings and villages where
houses were destroyed by landslides.
Sporadic famines are common in North Korea, according to experts
based in South Korea, but in the 1990s, a nationwide famine killed
as many as one million people.
(Reporting by Josh Smith, additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin;
Editing by Robert Birsel)
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