美国有线新闻 CNN 朝鲜遭遇十年来最严重粮食短缺 上千万人遭受饥饿威胁（在线收听）

And our first story concerns a food shortage in North Korea. The countries population is just over 25 million people and about 40 percent of them — we're talking about 10 million people — could be going hungry in the months ahead if they're not already. The United Nations says North Korea has just had its worst harvest in 10 years. There are a number of reasons why.

The U.N. blames drought, flooding and heat waves — a combination of the three. And the government of the United States blames North Korea's leadership as well, saying that if the communist country stops spending so much on its nuclear and missile programs, its people wouldn't be as starved and neglected as they are. Is the current food shortage the beginning of a famine? The U.N. isn't calling it at this point. North Korea did suffer a widespread famine in the mid 1990s' and it was a time when anywhere from several 100 thousand to several million people died. This year, experts say there are a? number of troubling signs concerning food in North Korea, but there are aid agencies and countries willing to help.