11.   Even in the absence of diplomatic relations, the United States has earned good will from Pyongyang by providing humanitarian aid to help ease acute food shortages.

12.   Fifty North Koreans defected to rival South Korea last year, and all reported acute food shortages there.

13.   In retaliation, South Korea has halted all economic and other assistance to the North, which is suffering from an acute food shortage.

14.   Isolated North Korea, already suffering from several years of acute food shortages, revealed more details Sunday of the damage it received the previous week.

15.   It also is suffering acute food shortages aggravated by two successive years of flooding.

16.   It reportedly suffer acute food shortages aggravated by floods last summer.

17.   Its economic slide was accelerated by floods this year and last that destroyed thousands of acres of farm land, resulting in an acute food shortage bordering on famine.

18.   Kim said that North Korea, facing an acute food shortage, has no choice but to change.

19.   North Korea has been suffering acute food shortages over the years as a result of drought, flooding and mismanagement of the agricultural sector.

20.   North Korea is in its fifth year of acute food shortage.