A team of European Union officials will enter North Korea Monday to assess the nation’s food situation.

The five-member team from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department will visit hospitals and orphanages, interview local residents and meet with North Korean officials through June 17th.

The team will be divided into two groups in order to visit as many areas in North Korea as possible. The team will also meet with members of international organizations and nongovernmental organizations stationed in the North.

After an internal review of the survey results, the EU is expected to decide whether to provide food aid to North Korea within two to three weeks.

The EU closed the Pyongyang office of its Humanitarian Aid Department and pulled out employees in May 2008.