Some rural areas of South Hamgyong Province have recently experienced severe food shortages. With little sign of improvement, people are even taking their own lives.
“More and more families are collapsing from hunger as food disappears in rural counties such as Yonggang County and Hongwon County,” a source in South Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “This is causing growing insecurity among the people about a possible food crisis.”
According to the source, the worsening food shortage has led to a number of deaths in some rural counties in South Hamgyong Province.
For example, a family of four in Yonggwang County died early last month, and their bodies were discovered several days later.
The father had tuberculosis and the 8-year-old youngest son was bedridden from malnutrition, but the family had no money for treatment. In addition, the family had run out of food a month before their deaths, so they begged their neighbors for food. But they could not get a gram of rice.
Deeply in debt from buying on credit, the family could not borrow money to buy food. With no way to resolve their food situation, the family – unable to bear the pain any longer – took their own lives together, the source said.
“The food supply in every rural home in North Korea has now reached its lowest point,” the source said. “People hardly have any food of their own, so they can’t help others. So food-poor families can’t get help even if they beg for rice.”
“I find no joy in living anymore”