(CNN)North Korea is heading for its worst drought since 2001, the United Nations has warned, raising the possibility of increased food shortages in the rogue state.
"More rains are urgently needed to avoid significant decreases in the main 2017 cereal production season," a report by the UN Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Thursday.
North Korea is still recovering from a deadly famine in the late 1990s, and the UN’s World Food Programme estimates 70% of the country’s 25 million people still don’t eat a "sufficiently diverse diet."
Now a prolonged period of dry weather, falling over North Korea’s important growing season of April to June, has put their staple crops of rice and maize at risk.
"Seasonal rainfall in main cereal producing areas have been below the level of 2001, when cereal production dropped to the unprecedented level of only two million tonnes," Vincent Martin, FAO representative in China and North Korea, said in a statement.
Lee said any further food shortage would fall during North Korea’s lean season, during the time between harvests.
"Then on top of the drought, they may get some monsoon flooding when it does start to rain.
The UN organization called for immediate assistance for the country’s farmer and general population, including irrigation equipment and food aid.
North Korea and the international community have a long history of exchanging food aid for concessions in the rogue state’s weapons program.
Lee said there was likely to be a call from the UN’s World Food Programme for donations to make up any shortfall in North Korea.