MOSCOW. Sept 20 (Interfax) - The world, including Russia, should give humanitarian aid to North Korea, which is suffering from a food shortage, head of the Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachyov told Interfax on Friday.
"One way or another, the population of North Korea needs international humanitarian aid. I am sure that our country should take part in relevant programs," Kosachyov said.
The statement followed media reports based on UN information, which said that North Korea would have the smallest harvest in five years in 2019, and about 40% of the population would experience a serious food shortage. Drought and poor irrigation are blamed for that.
"The food supply situation remains complicated in North Korea. One of the reasons for such problems (besides low efficiency of management) is outstanding issues of the North Korean missile and nuclear program," he said.
UN sanctions are targeted and do not affect the population, "while the unlawful unilateral pressure coming from the United States and its regional allies generates humanitarian problems," Kosachyov said.
As for possible Russian humanitarian assistance to Pyongyang, "its forms, scope, and pace should be determined by relevant executive agencies with due account of real needs and possible coordination of actions with third countries," he said.