As North Korea grapples with food crisis, flour now a luxury item: Report

As the world grapples with the food crisis, reports claim flour prices in North Korea have increased so fast that only the wealthy can now afford to buy it making it a status symbol.

Flour has reportedly become much costlier than rice as it has become scarce, reports claim. The Communist nation had recently said several families had fallen victim to an unidentified intestinal disease even as it grapples with a virus wave.

Kim Jong Un's regime had announced the emergence of coronavirus cases last month as it activated the "maximum emergency epidemic prevention system" to combat the disease. Despite the strict measures, reports claimed there were over 4.5 million coronavirus cases with 73 deaths.

Watch:North Korea reports mysterious intestinal disease

Reports sayNorth Koreans are finding it difficult to buy imported flour as it is expensive. North Korea had suspended the import of cheap Russian and Chinese flour as the coronavirus pandemic took hold worldwide in early 2020 as a result flour prices have skyrocketed in the country.

Reports say eating bread has become a status symbol in the country as the country grapples with the current food shortage.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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