Millions of North Koreans expect the worst harvest in a decade.

Not enough of 1.36 million tons of food after a series of weather catastrophes, the situation is aggravated by international sanctions, writes portal GISMETEO.RU.

According to the UN, this year the North Koreans had an average of only 300 grams of food a day. In previous years, the rations were so scarce only in the "lean season" — the last few months before harvest.

North Korea has for decades struggled with the food crisis. In the 1990s, the country experienced a famine that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Today, about 770 000 malnourished women and children are fed in part by the world food programme of the United Nations.

The WFP estimates that currently 10.1 million people suffer from acute food shortages after the worst harvest of 2008/09. This year, the country faced a series of weather events: rain, heat, flooding. It was also less than normal snow, which protects the "early harvest" (wheat, barley and potatoes).

The deficit was exacerbated by the shortage of fuel and spare parts, which is not enough due to economic sanctions. This means that the part of food that survived last year's weather shock, was left on the sidelines for weeks, where she became food for rats and other vermin.

Although it appears that North Korean authorities were aware of the extent of the problem in the beginning of the year, this became known only in March when officials invited a group from the Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations to assess the situation. The delegation visited the country in April 2019 and found that the production of early crops decreased by approximately 20% compared to last year. They also found family survive "on a diet consisting of rice and kimchi, the most part of the year." According to the WFP report, some families eat protein a few times a year.
 

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