North Korea Faces Severe Food Crisis: Here’s What’s Happening

North Korea Faces New Famine Threat

North Korea is on the brink of a new famine, a stark warning recently issued by the FAO.
For years, this nation has struggled with severe food shortages, leading to widespread hunger and long-term deaths due to starvation.

Despite a recent economic uptick aided by new military agreements with Russia, including military cooperation, the food situation is becoming increasingly dire.
As its leader Kim Jong-un continues to taunt South Korea with balloons filled with waste and conducts missile tests, climate change and flooding threaten to cripple agriculture, particularly as the harvesting season approaches.

While the South and much of the international community have expressed willingness to assist Pyongyang, Kim Jong-un has stubbornly rejected offers of aid.
This rejection compounds the immediate risk of famine, as the nation grapples with political isolation and an ongoing climate crisis.

Historical Context of Famine

The 1990s saw a devastating famine in North Korea, which resulted in over one million deaths—some estimates suggest the death toll could be as high as four million in a population of approximately 22 million.
The catastrophic conditions included torrential rains that flooded around 30% of the country, leading to an 85% reduction in electrical supply.

Such disasters were exacerbated by a failing public distribution system that allocated food based on loyalty rather than need.
Currently, a similar combination of factors puts North Korea at risk of food insecurity, as it has never fully recovered from the crisis of 1994-1998.

“Heavy rains could worsen waterlogging and result in further flooding, causing significant damage to agriculture and displacing populations,” the FAO communicated.
Additionally, above-average temperatures may raise disease risks and threaten crop yields.

Implications of Natural Disasters

North Korea is already grappling with severe floods along its northern border with China, putting food crops such as rice, corn, and potatoes at risk.
As the harvest season approaches, Kim Jong-un’s refusal of South Korean assistance for natural disaster victims could exacerbate the looming food crisis.
If the crops at the end of August fail, a new famine could become a grim reality for this isolated nation.