The U.N. World Food Program said Friday that it's resuming emergency food aid to North Korea.

WFP spokeswoman Emilia Casella said that three-point-five million North Koreans are starving due to the harsh winter and the subsequent poor vegetable harvest. The agency says it will provide 200 million dollars worth of food to the North over a year.

The spokeswoman promised stringent monitoring and control over the food aid in order to insure it's delivered where it's necessary.

The WFP said the North Korean government also consented to allow WFP officials to go to 400 areas in North Korea once a month to check the food distribution. Experts believe North Korea's change of heart and acceptance of the terms highlights the country's dire food situation.