The country is facing unprecedented severe restrictions, acute shortages of essential goods, including medicines and inability to resolve health problems, the Russian diplomatic mission in Pyongyang said
Diplomatic missions of 12 states have ceased work in the DPRK and all foreign personnel of international humanitarian organizations have left the country due to the difficult situation in the republic, including shortages of goods and medicines. The Russian embassy in Pyongyang said this on its Facebook page on Thursday.
According to its information, 38 foreign nationals left the country on March 18, and this is not the first “collective departure of diplomatic mission personnel from the DPRK.” “One thing is clear – it will unfortunately not be the last, the exodus of foreigners from here will continue. Although there are almost none left here at the moment – fewer than 290 in total,” the statement said.
“The Embassy said the exodus is understandable — not everyone can bear the unprecedented restrictions, the acute shortage of essential goods and medicines, and the lack of medical treatment,”, – said the embassy.
The locks on the gates of the UK, Venezuela, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and France have been tightened,” the statement said. At the moment, only nine ambassadors and four chargé d’affaires are representing their countries, and “the staff of most of the embassies still functioning here has been reduced to a minimum”, the Russian embassy added.
At the same time, the Russian diplomatic mission continues its work.
“We, of course, also have a hard time, there are many problems, several families were forced to interrupt business trips for various reasons. But the team’s capacity for work is fully intact, we are performing and will continue to perform all the functions entrusted to us”, – the diplomatic mission concluded.