North Korea aid plea

Koreas have been hit by floods and droughts

By Claire Doole in Geneva

North Korea is asking the international community for $250m to boost agricultural recovery.

The government will make the plea at a meeting in Geneva sponsored by the UN Development Programme.

It's the second time in two years that Korea has asked donor governments for aid.

Over the past five years, North Korea has been hit by a succession of natural disasters.

Heavy floods, drought and typhoons have burdened an economy already weakened by the loss of its traditional trading partners in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

During that time, agricultural production plummeted by 70%.

UN donor conference

Two years ago, the UN held its first donor conference for North Korea. The UN judged it a success, saying it helped to avert mass famine and ease child malnutrition.

Food production was boosted, sea dykes destroyed in the floods were rebuilt and a tree seedling programme started.

But the scale of the deforestation caused by mass chopping down of trees during acute energy shortages and the continued lack of food to feed the country's 22 million people have meant more money is needed.

North Korea is asking for $250m from donor countries.

The money will be spent on improving the environment as well as on fertilisers and seeds needed to help farmers raise production levels.