North Korea’s pandemic border controls and insistence on self-reliance are impeding the provision of much-needed aid, contributing to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country, multiple international organizations have told the U.N. Panel of Experts.

Six out of 11 organizations surveyed about the impact of sanctions on the humanitarian situation in the DPRK said they have had difficulties contacting or cooperating with the North Korean government while attempting to deliver aid or perform humanitarian work over the past three years, according to comments included in the Panel’s latest report on violations of the DPRK sanctions regime.