North Koreans work in a field near Sinuiju, across the Yalu River from Dandong, China's largest border city with North Korea, in Liaoning Province, on May 28, 2015. The U.N. said diarrhea cases among North Korean children was up 140 percent year-on-year between January and May 2015, in the North Korean province of North Hamkyong. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

SEOUL, July 16 (UPI) -- The U.N. said severe acute malnutrition among North Korean children was up 38 percent in 2014 and $39 million is needed for drought relief alone.

The statement was part of a report the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued Wednesday on North Korea's drought conditions, Voice of America reported.


The exceptionally dry weather in the country took a toll on the health of North Koreans in 2014, and because the drought has persisted in the current season, children's health is likely to have worsened, the report said.

The U.N. agency said North Korea is facing a critical shortage of Oral Rehydration Salts, a treatment for severe cases of diarrhea among young children, South Korean outlet No Cut News reported.

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The U.N. said diarrhea cases among North Korean children was up 140 percent between January and May 2015, year on year, in the North Korean province of North Hamkyong.

Diarrhea cases were up significantly in other parts of the country from the previous year: 71 percent in North Hwanghae Province, 52 percent in South Pyongan Province and 34 percent in South Hamkyong Province.

The U.N. said $104 million is needed in annual aid to North Korea but so far has only reached 32 percent of the goal, or $33 million.

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On June 19 UNICEF delivered two months' worth of medical supplies for 10,000 people to the North Korean Ministry of Health, and more is on its way.

Medicine included 23 kinds of treatments for diarrhea and pneumonia that are to be distributed across 94 cities and districts.

The lack of safe drinking water during droughts and also during floods is linked to increases in cases of diarrhea, according to a UNESCO representative.

It is estimated 70 percent, or 18 million North Koreans are experiencing some kind of food shortage, and the drought is leading to drastic reductions in the food supply.