A top U.S. diplomat says Washington will not provide food aid to North Korea if the U.S. cannot monitor whether the food aid is being distributed properly.

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday that Washington will not provide food aid without a thorough assessment of actual needs and adequate program management, monitoring, and access to ensure that food aid is not diverted or misused.

He made the remark after expressing serious concerns about media reports that the North is suffering from a chronic food shortage.

Bosworth also expressed concerns about the North’s human rights conditions, adding that the U.S. is working with the United Nations and other international organizations to improve the North’s human rights situation. He stressed that advancing human rights is a top priority in Washington's North Korea policy.