North Korea as a Complex Humanitarian Emergency

North Korea is a complex humanitarian emergency with food insecurity at its core. As of July 2023, quantity and price data point to a deteriorating situation, and on one metric, food availability is the worst since the 1990s famine. Yet despite this situation, North Korea continues to invest in its military, financed in significant part by illegal activities. In this context, the diplomatic leverage conferred by aid is unclear, nor is North Korea’s priority as a recipient, due to competing needs elsewhere. Resolution of North Korea’s chronic food insecurity would require changes in the regime’s domestic and foreign policy commitments, but this seems unlikely due to enablement by China and Russia.