U.N. aid chief: 'clear evidence of humanitarian need' in N. Korea

All News 20:32 July 11, 2018

SEOUL, July 11 (Yonhap) -- The top U.N. relief official said Wednesday he sees "clear evidence of humanitarian need" in North Korea during his rare trip to the North.

U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock arrived in Pyongyang on Monday and met with Kim Yong-nam, North Korea's nominal head of state and president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, earlier in the day, according to the North's state media.

In a video posted on his Twitter account, Lowcock said, "One of the things we've seen is very clear evidence of humanitarian need here."

U.N. aid chief: 'clear evidence of humanitarian need' in N. Korea - 1

Lowcock said about 20 percent of North Korea's children have suffered malnutrition and more than half of the North's children in rural areas, including the places Lowcock's team has seen, lack clean water.

It was the first visit to North Korea by an emergency relief coordinator since 2011.

The North's Korean Central News Agency reported that Lowcock also met with its minister of public health, Jang Jun-sang, and that the U.N. aid chief visited a children's foodstuff factory in Pyongyang.
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