North Korea says it is facing its worst drought in a century, sparking fears of worsening food shortages.
State news agency KCNA said main rice-growing provinces had been badly affected and more than 30% of rice paddies were “parching up”.
Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans are believed to have died during a widespread famine in the 1990s.
This drought is unlikely to be as deadly because of recent agricultural reforms, correspondents say.
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