ht BBC
North Korea is facing a "critical" food shortage, especially for children, the UN's food agency has said.

The World Food Programme's director for North Korea said the agency was unable to reach millions of North Koreans due to a shortfall in funding.

The director, Torben Due, said the WFP had received no new donations for North Korea since Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test in May.

He also said Pyongyang had barred the WFP from using Korean-speaking staff.

North Korea had given no reason for that decision, he added.

Mr Due told reporters in Beijing that the WFP had received only 15% of an international appeal for $504m (£306m) and had to cut back plans to provide food aid to 6.2 million North Koreans to 2.27 million.



North Korea has relied on food aid from China, South Korea and aid agencies to feed millions of its people since a famine in the 1990s resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.

Recent flooding and the suspension of South Korean fertiliser aid shipments have hindered food production.


Is North Korea facing famine?

We are now in the middle of the lean season in North Korea, where food supplies are low and it's a very difficult situation for many people in the country "

We should make more public how much aid we give to NK for food aid.

Job for Sarah Palin - go to South Korea, talk about food aid, peace, and a new American policy," walk quietly, help the starving, proclaim righteousness and freedom, encourage capitalism"