Food production in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been severely damaged by the worst drought in the country since 2001, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Thursday.

Rainfall in key crop-producing areas was well below average from April through June, disrupting planting and damaging crops including staples such as rice, maize, potatoes and soybeans.

If rains do not improve soon, cereal output “may decrease significantly, further worsening the local food security situation,” according to FAO and its partner, the European Commission.

Murielle Sarr has been speaking to Cristina Coslet, an economist at FAO’s headquarters in Rome.

Duration: 3’38”