A/HRC/19/65 Notably, relatives living on cooperative farms in rural areas gave up portions of their own food allocations to assist people dependent on the distribution system in urban areas. 23. The above-mentioned FAO/WFP report showed that many of the factors behind the shortage of food in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea remain the same in 2012, but have intensified; these include the adverse weather conditions, underdevelopment and structural problems, which have all had a serious impact on food and crop production in 2010/11. 24. In 2012, it is estimated that, while harvests in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are expected to increase by about 8.5 per cent over the results of the previous year, the country would still have to import 739,000 tons of cereal. Considering the planned Government imports of 325,000 tons, the WFP/FAO mission estimates an uncovered food deficit of 414,000 tons. In the 2011/12 marketing year, substantial increases in commercial imports and/or external assistance will be needed to make up for the deficit. The alarming deterioration in the availability of food is also affected by the decline in bilateral and multilateral food aid from the international community. The country’s planned commercial imports and recommended food assistance will not cover the food deficit, leaving an additional shortfall of 294,000 tons of cereals. 25. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that the current dire food shortage in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will lead to serious health problems, especially in children, women and the elderly. In 2011, health officials in the country reported a 50 to 100 per cent increase over the total in 2010 in admissions of malnourished children into paediatric wards. In addition, a sharp rise in low birth weights, and several cases of oedema1 were noted. Other vulnerable groups are pregnant and lactating women, who are at greater risk of acute malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. 26. The Special Rapporteur underscores the importance of meeting the food shortfall by ensuring that an adequate quantity of food of good quality is available through additional imports by the Government, supported by the international agencies and bilateral donors. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that the primary obligation to feed people lies with the State, which must take all measures necessary to rectify existing flaws in the production and distribution system that have contributed for the shortage of food. He also calls on the Government to allocate more resources to agriculture rather than to its military sector. 27. The Special Rapporteur also wishes to highlight the fact that members of the international community have both a joint and individual responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance in times of emergency. States should refrain at all times from food embargoes or similar measures that endanger conditions for food production and access to food in other countries. Food should never be used as an instrument of political and economic pressure.2 He calls on donor countries, including non-traditional donor countries, to provide humanitarian aid, such as food and medicines. 28. In October 2011, WFP distributed food, funded by an €8.5 million donation from the Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission, for its emergency operation to reach mainly young children and women threatened by rising malnutrition.3 More recently, China reportedly assisted the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with 500,000 tons of 1 2 3 The presence of abnormally large amounts of fluid in the intercellular tissue spaces of the body. The condition is commonly characterized by an increase in weight, facial puffiness and swelling of other parts of the body E/C.12/1999/5, paras. 37-38. “Arrival of EU food boosts WFP food distributions In DPRK”, 21 September 2011. Available from www.wfp.org/news/news-release/arrival-eu-food-boosts-wfp-food-distributions-dprk. 7