North Korea provided 300 grams of food per person a day on average during the third quarter of this year, just half of some 600 grams that the United Nations recommends as the minimal daily requirements, a U.S. broadcaster, monitored here, said Wednesday.

"The food ration is also far below the (recommended) 573 grams, which the North Korean regime aims to provide to its people," the Voice of America said, citing World Food Programme data.

The third-quarter per person rations are down 17 percent from the 360 grams in the first quarter and down 19 percent from 370 grams in the second quarter, the broadcaster said.

On the other hand, the WFP's food aid to the poverty-stricken nation last month was an all-time high this year, the broadcaster said.

In October, the UN aid body sent 2,861 tons of food to 792,761 North Korean people in the flood-damaged North Hamkyong Province, according to the broadcaster.

Comparable figures were 2,728 tons in September, 2,114 tons in August and 379 tons in July, the broadcaster said.

Meanwhile, the WFP said some $7.20 million is required to rehabilitate the flood-devastated province, the broadcaster said. (Yonhap)