International humanitarian assistance to North Korea tumbled nearly 50 percent in the first half of this year from a year earlier, a U.S. radio report said Wednesday.

Citing the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Washington-based Voice of America said North Korea received $19.6 million of humanitarian aid in the January-June period, down 45 percent from the same period last year.

The report, however, gave no reason for the on-year plunge.

Six countries offered aid to the impoverished country during the six-month period, down from 10 a year earlier.

Switzerland led the pack with $3.82 million, followed by Sweden and Canada. No data was available on aid from Australia, Germany, Italy and Ireland, which provided assistance to the communist country last year, the report said.

Over 65 percent of the aid has been allocated to improve food security and nutrition in the country, it added.

So far this year, the U.N. has extended $6.49 million in the Central Emergency Relief Fund to five of its agencies working in the communist state. The CERF is a type of pooled funds managed by the OCHA to assist humanitarian operations in any country experiencing acute or large, on-going crises.

The North relies heavily on international handouts to feed its 24 million people suffering from chronic food shortages. (Yonhap)