SEOUL: North Korea says it is suffering its worst drought in nearly four decades amid concern about a food crisis in the country.
The official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that an average of 54.4 millimeters (2.1 inches) of rain fell throughout the country in the first five months of this year, the lowest level since 1982.
It says the drought is expected to continue until the end of May.
Earlier this month, UN food agencies said in a joint assessment that about 10 million people in North Korea were facing "severe food shortages" after the country had one of the worst harvests in a decade.
In February, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, issued an unusual appeal for urgent food assistance.