Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the drought in North Korea and its potential impact on food supplies in that country.

According to UN reporting, a prolonged dry spell from mid-April to early June has led to soil moisture deficits, particularly in the central and southern provinces of North Korea, resulting in reductions of the 2015 staple rice crop and adversely affecting yield potential of early-planted crops, including maize and soybeans. A detailed assessment of the crop damage is not yet available, but early official estimates provided by the National Coordinating Committee (NCC), as of 8 June, indicate a severe contraction for rice plantings and large cultivated areas adversely affected by the current dry spell.