North Korean authorities are yet to approve a $41.7 million grant from international financing organization the Global Fund, a spokesperson confirmed to NK News on Thursday, in a delay that comes amid increased concerns about shortages of urgently-needed drugs in the country.

Global Fund, which controversially ended its North Korea operations in 2018, announced last month that its board had approved a major new grant for in-country work and that the project was awaiting government approval.

But speaking over email this week, a Global Fund spokesperson said that new grant, aimed at tackling tuberculosis and malaria and originally