North Korea issues 'extreme cold' alert as temperatures may dip below -30°C in many parts

As spine-chilling cold waves sweep the Korean Peninsula, North Korean authorities have issued a warning, urging citizens to brace themselves for “extreme weather conditions”. Citing the statement from the state radio broadcaster, BBC reported that the temperatures in the northern regions are likely to dip below - 30°C. The North Korean state media has also informed that the coastal areas are also expected to see high winds. According to the BBC, South Korea has also issued similar warnings and parts of Northern China are also struggling with record-low temperatures. 

What makes the matter worse is the fact that the northern region of the authoritarian country is also known to be one of the poorest parts of the country. Regions like Ryanggang, North Hamgyong, and South Hamgyong which are touted to be most vulnerable to the wrath of winters are also one of the poorest provinces of the country. However, there is little known about the impact of extreme winters on the life of the people in the country. 

North Koreans struggle with food insecurity and power outage

According to the BBC, electricity is uncommon outside the capital of Pyongyang. If local reports are to be believed, households in the aforementioned provinces still burn wood and dried plants for warmth. According to NK News, the situation in these provinces is so bad that the poverty-stricken people in the region merely use plastic wraps to cover their doors and windows. In December last year, Radio Free Asia reported that “a large number” of people in the country had gone missing, many were even thought to be frozen to death. 

North Korea has been struggling with food insecurity as well. As per BBC report, the country’s food crisis is the worst since the famine of the 1990s. It was the year 2019 when it was revealed that the authoritarian country suffered from the “worst drought in nearly four decades”. Hence, food scarcity will also be a major matter of concern amid severe weather conditions.