UN says N Korea hunger worst since 1990s

Hunger in North Korea is at its worst since the 1990s, the United Nations said Wednesday, prompting the resumption of emergency UN food shipments after a two-year hiatus.

Devastating floods last year wrought havoc on the impoverished country, forcing millions to resort to eating grasses and roots to stay alive, according to the UN's World Food Programme.

"I won't say that we are seeing an impending famine, (but) hunger levels are at their worst since the late 1990s," said Jean-Pierre de Margerie, the WFP's country director for North Korea. "Between five and six million Koreans are in need of food assistance right now," he told reporters in Beijing.

In a just completed survey, he said, the WFP found that up to half the country was having to forage for foods and resorting to eating edible grasses and roots.

Meanwhile food prices at tightly-controlled markets had in some instances quadrupled over the last three months, while the state-run government food distribution system had cut daily rations by nearly 70 per cent, he said.

The WFP began shipping emergency food to North Korea in June, and it will make an international appeal next month for up to 500 million dollars in aid to begin flowing in September, he said.

The nation of about 23 million will face critical food shortages until the autumn harvest is completely in at the end of October, and will need international assistance until at least October 2009, he said.