Severe drought causes food shortage in North Korea

Severe drought in a North Korean province southeast of Pyongyang over the weekend was serious enough to cause food shortages among its residents, North Korea's official media reported Sunday as it continues to issue reports on the "worst drought in a century" in its western central areas. Nearly 20,000 hectares of farmland have been parched in North Hwanghae Province as of June 23 and crops are withering away in the province, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing official data. Most reservoirs in the county have gone dry and some paddy fields still remain unsown because of a lack of water, the situation that hinders the smooth supply of food to the residents, the KCNA said. Earlier this month, the KCNA said North Korea's western coastal area has been seriously affected by the drought that started in late April, citing the lowest precipitation in a century. In a dispatch from Pyongyang on June 13, the agency said only 1 to 5 millimeters of rainfall has been reported in some parts of Pyongyang City, South Phyongan Province and North and South Hwanghae provinces since April, the lowest for Pyongyang City in 105 years.