Korea food shortages for seventh year

United Nations aid agencies say North Korea is facing food shortages due to drought for the seventh consecutive year.

The World Food Programme said North Korea needed to import nearly two million tonnes of cereals between now and October next year.

It appealed for international food aid.

It said a mission last month had found that rice and maize production had dropped considerably.

The agency said the situation has been worsened by severe power and fuel shortages which have undermined the ability of irrigation systems.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service