CIA Says North Korea Lacks 860,000 Tons Of Food, Citizens Suffer From Malnutrition

North Korea illustration. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - The United States Intelligence Agency (CIA) said North Korea lacked 860,000 tons of food, a condition that causes its citizens to suffer from food and nutritional deficiencies, requiring imports or urgent assistance.

According to data from the Langley, Virginia-based intelligence agency, the country's food gap is equivalent to about two to three months of consumption.

This woes are compounded by the economic constraints caused by the ongoing fight against the corona virus, according to data uploaded to the online World Factbook.

"Due to low levels of food consumption, poor dietary diversity, and economic downturn, a large part of the population is suffering from low levels of food consumption and extremely poor dietary diversity," reads the post, reported the Korea Times from Yonhap May 31.

"Economic constraints, particularly as a result of the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased the vulnerability of the population to food insecurity. If this gap is not adequately covered through commercial imports and/or food aid, households could have a hard time," he added.

It is known, North Korea has imposed strict border controls against the pandemic since early 2020. North Korea even implemented a nationwide lockdown after confirming the virus outbreak earlier this month.

The CIA puts North Korea's population this year at 25.96 million, with 3.13 million, or 12 percent of the total, living in the capital Pyongyang. The average life expectancy in the country is estimated at 71.77 years, he said.