Millions at risk in North Korean food crisis

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The first survey on food and nutrition in North Korea since the country granted broad access to aid groups shows millions of people are going hungry, with households reducing their food intake and more children becoming malnourished.

A WFP nutritional expert assesses a boy's health at an orphanage in Chongjin City, North Korea, in June.

The survey -- conducted jointly by the United Nations' World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization -- also shows a widening gap between how much food North Korea is able to produce or purchase and how much its population needs.

The WFP called it the largest food gap since 2001 for the country of 23 million.

The drop in production, due to flooding in August 2007 and successive poor harvests, combined with high prices for staple foods have led to the largest food gap since 2001.

Covering 53 counties in eight provinces, the study was the most comprehensive assessment on food and nutrition conducted in DPRK since 2004. Among the key findings are that food availability, accessibility and utilization have deteriorated sharply since 2007, and that close to three quarters of households have reduced their food intake.

In addition, more malnourished and ill children are being admitted to hospitals and institutions, and diarrhoea caused by increased consumption of wild foods was one of the leading causes of malnutrition among children under the age of five.

Compounding the situation is the surge in food prices. Rice now costs almost three times more than a year ago, and maize has quadrupled.

“We’ve found that many more people are now scavenging for wild foods which provide little nourishment and are difficult to digest. Food assistance to reach the hungry is urgently needed,” said Mr. de Margerie.