The isolated East Asian country is under pressure.
Corona, international sanctions and natural disasters are causing a disastrous food situation.
Pyongyang - Corona pandemic, sanctions and natural disasters have hit North Korea hard. A report by the United Nations from March 2021 writes of "famines" and "executions" for violations of corona requirements. The East Asian country, ruled authoritarian by ruler Kim Jong-un, is apparently currently massively exposed to the economic consequences of the “drastic decline in trade and industry” - commented a special rapporteur on the human rights situation in North Korea. He also wrote of the "starving deaths" and an increasing number of children and the elderly who tried to survive by begging. Now Kim has spoken up himself. And warned the population of a poor supply of food.
The food situation was "strained", said the dictator of the state news agency KCNA, according to a plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Labor Party on Wednesday.
Despite the 25 percent increase in industrial production compared to 2020, the economy has seen a "number of deviations from the norm," said Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang.
Measures to solve the problem should be taken, he instructed the participants.
He also agreed the people in North Korea to extend the strict isolation and protective measures against the pandemic.
The current “perfect anti-epidemic status” must be maintained, said Kim.
North Korea: Dictator Kim Jong-Un admits poor food supplies
Because of its nuclear weapons and missile tests, the authoritarian-ruled country is subject to international sanctions. These are weighing heavily on the North Korean economy. The consequences of the corona pandemic and several hurricanes last year, which contributed to the worsening of the situation, are aggravating the situation. "The food situation of the population is tense because the agricultural sector failed to meet its grain production plan because of the cyclone damage last year," Kim said, according to the KCNA. North Korean agriculture must be better protected from the consequences of natural disasters. A good harvest has "top priority".
The South Korean government estimates that North Korea will lack 1.2 to 1.3 million tons of food this year to adequately supply the population. However, observers have not yet seen any signs of a new famine like the one in the 1990s. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of North Koreans fell victim to this.
(aka with agencies)
