Voice of America says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has again named North Korea as a country suffering from a food shortage. 
 
The U.S. broadcaster says in the October issue of the Crop Prospects and Food Situation report, the UN agency included North Korea among 34 countries in the world that require external assistance to properly feed their people. 
 
The report says the food situation in the North has not changed from July when the last report was released. 
 
The report says the fall harvest improved in the North last year but the wheat and barley harvest this summer was worse than expected, and a chronic food shortage continues in the communist regime. 
 
It estimated some two-point-eight million vulnerable North Koreans will need external food aid until the fall harvest season ends this year. The agency forecasts fall crops to further decrease due to floods in the Pyeongan provinces.