In the absence of official information, the WHO is working on its own projections.

In North Korea, where the coronavirus is breaking out after two years of complete sealing at the borders, the authorities are indeed not very inclined to collaborate with the UN health body.

“At the moment, we are unable to make a proper assessment of the situation on the ground.

We assume things are getting worse, not better,” World Health Organization emergency manager Dr Michael Ryan told a press briefing. Wednesday in Geneva.

“Again, it is very, very difficult to provide a correct analysis to the rest of the world when we do not have the necessary data,” he insisted, explaining that the WHO had the same information that Pyongyang wants. provide well to the rest of the world.

According to Dr. Maria van Kerkhove, in charge of managing the response to the Covid-19 pandemic within the organization, North Korea has recorded a total of 3.7 million cases of Covid-19.

The authorities officially speak only of “fever”.

3.8 million officially declared contaminations

On Thursday, the North Korean official agency KCNA recorded 96,610 new cases of "fever", against 390,000 daily cases reported in early May.

The total official toll is more than 3.8 million contaminations and 69 deaths.

"Many healings have been reported but there is only limited information coming to us from the country," said Dr. van Kerkhove.

The 25 million North Koreans are not vaccinated and the health system of their country is one of the worst in the world.

Dr Ryan explained that the WHO had "multiple times offered help" to the North Korean authorities, including vaccines "on three occasions".

And “we continue to offer them”, he hammered.

“We do not want to see intense transmission in a vulnerable population with an already weakened health system.

It's not good for the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it's not good for the region and it's not good for the world,” he insisted.

World

Covid-19 in North Korea: Kim Jong-un castigates the government and the laziness of officials

World

Covid-19: In North Korea the virus spreads after a military parade, according to experts

  • World

  • North Korea

  • Health

  • Covid-19

  • Coronavirus

  • WHO