3 years into pandemic, fears mount that North Korea is teetering toward famine



Analysis 3 years into pandemic, fears mount that North Korea is teetering toward famine Experts say food insecurity appears to be worst in decades, but DPRK’s COVID isolation obscures situation on the ground Ifang Bremer February 15, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON A North Korean woman working on a farm near Kaesong on Sept. 8, 2015 \| Image: NK News The specter of famine has long loomed over North Korea, and three years into the pandemic, a range of indicators suggest the country is closer to widespread starvation than it has been in decades. An extreme drought struck the country last spring, and South Korea estimates that the DPRK produced 180,000 tons less food in 2022 than the previous year. Imports remain well-below pre-pandemic levels, even after an uptick last year, and humanitarian aid has struggled to reach the country. The specter of famine has long loomed over North Korea, and three years into the pandemic, a range of indicators suggest the country is closer to widespread starvation than it has been in decades. An extreme drought struck the country last spring, and South Korea estimates that the DPRK produced 180,000 tons less food in 2022 than the previous year. Imports remain well-below pre-pandemic levels, even after an uptick last year, and humanitarian aid has struggled to reach the country. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Analysis

3 years into pandemic, fears mount that North Korea is teetering toward famine

Experts say food insecurity appears to be worst in decades, but DPRK’s COVID isolation obscures situation on the ground

Ifang Bremer February 15, 2023

3 years into pandemic, fears mount that North Korea is teetering toward famine

A North Korean woman working on a farm near Kaesong on Sept. 8, 2015 | Image: NK News

The specter of famine has long loomed over North Korea, and three years into the pandemic, a range of indicators suggest the country is closer to widespread starvation than it has been in decades.

An extreme drought struck the country last spring, and South Korea estimates that the DPRK produced 180,000 tons less food in 2022 than the previous year. Imports remain well-below pre-pandemic levels, even after an uptick last year, and humanitarian aid has struggled to reach the country.

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3 years into pandemic, fears mount that North Korea is teetering toward famine

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