The United Nations has urged the international community to provide 430-thousand metric tons of food aid for North Korea.

The Associated Press (AP) quoted the U.N. as saying in a report that more than six million North Koreans are in urgent need of international food assistance.

The report, which was based on an assessment conducted last month and this month, said that the North has suffered a series of shocks, including summer floods and then a harsh winter, "leaving the country highly vulnerable to a food crisis."

The report said the worst affected from the food shortage include children, women and the elderly, and recommended providing 430-thousand metric tons of food aid.

The AP said that three U.N. agencies -- the World Food Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and UNICEF -- conducted the assessment at Pyongyang's request.