Storms, Covid Raise Fear of Worst North Korea Famine Since 1990s
- Three typhoons destroyed crops as virus disrupted food supply
- UN report says this year’s harvest could be lowest since 1994
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Three destructive typhoons, U.S.-backed sanctions and the global pandemic are fueling concern that North Korea’s 26 million people could slip back into the devastating food shortages the country faced during the rule of Kim Jong Un’s father in the 1990s.
Kim said the country is under “an intensive struggle” to recover from the floods and typhoons, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Kim has been shown repeatedly exhorting officials to minimize the damage to crops and boost yields.