A United Nations According to experts, North Korean women are facing increased pressure to feed their families amid the country’s strict COVID-19 measures, which have pushed up food prices by nearly 700% in the last year.
What happened: Elizabeth Salmonthe UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, expressed concern at the “disproportionate impact”. Kim Jong Un COVID-19 norms for women and girls in the country as she completed her first visit to Seoul since taking office last month.
Salmon, who does not have access to first-hand information due to the country’s secretive politics, presented her insights from interviews with recent North Korean refugees, government officials and civic groups.
“I have learned that every institution, including women’s associations and schools, has a quota to which women and children must contribute by providing materials and labour. Many children were malnourished and stunted even before the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
“The market activities that the women depended on for their livelihood have been severely curtailed due to the ongoing closure of the borders,” she added.
“Without an alternative source of income, they must continue to support their families and care for sick family members, including potential COVID-19 patients, while making contributions to the state.”
Salmon, citing a defector who reported food price increases of up to 700% over the past year, said the price hikes increase the likelihood of famine among the country’s 25 million people.
Earlier this week, a UN report accused North Korea for violating human rights amid Kim’s heightened coronavirus-related restrictions with additional restrictions on access to information, tighter border security and heightened surveillance.
