Yes, starvation remains a significant and systemic problem in the as of early 2026. While the country is not currently experiencing a nationwide famine on the scale of the "Arduous March" of the 1990s, food insecurity has reached its most critical level in decades.
Current Food Security Status
- Widespread Malnutrition: Approximately 12 million people—nearly half the population—are estimated to be undernourished.
- Starvation Reports: Reliable accounts from inside the country, including those collected by the BBC, indicate that some North Koreans have recently starved to death in their homes as informal markets and coping mechanisms collapsed.
- Stunting: Chronic malnutrition is evident in the physical development of children; one in five North Korean children suffer from stunting (being too short for their age).
Key Drivers of the Crisis
The current situation is exacerbated by a combination of government policy, environmental factors, and international isolation:
- Isolation & Border Closures: Strict border controls initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted the import of grain, fertilizer, and farming machinery.
- Economic Mismanagement: The regime continues to prioritize funding for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs over agricultural investment.
- Extreme Weather: Successive years of drought, heatwaves, and severe flooding (notably in 2023 and 2024) have devastated crop yields.
- Market Crackdowns: The government has recently reasserted control over private food sales, banning many items from local markets (Jangmadang) and forcing people to rely on a failing state distribution system.
Regional Disparities
Food availability is highly unequal. While the elite in Pyongyang often have access to relatively stable supplies, those in rural areas and northern provinces face the highest risk of acute hunger. Vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and orphans, are frequently the most affected when rations are cut.
Despite offers of humanitarian assistance from the UN, South Korea, and Russia, the DPRK leadership has frequently rejected aid, insisting on national "self-reliance" even as prices for staples like rice and corn reach record highs.
These reports detail the critical food security situation in North Korea, including widespread malnutrition and government market crackdowns:
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