Radio Australia
North
Korea says it's in the grip of a new drought that's destroying crops.
The
official Korean Central News Agency says there's been very little rain since the
start of March.
Aid agencies say the communist state faces serious new
food shortages this year and that public food rations will probably stop this
month.
After that, most North Koreans will depend on international aid.
About one million people have died from food shortages and associated
illness since 1994 when a series of natural disasters and chronic mismanagement
started causing famine conditions.
The World Food Program says most of
North Korea's 22 million people are now surviving on a handful of rice or cereal,
each day.
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