Threat to Millions as Food Aid Scheme Runs Out of Money
March 26th, 2008Via: Independent:
Faced with the dramatically spiralling costs of wheat, rice and corn, the World Food Programme has made an unprecedented appeal for at least $500m (£250m) to help it continue supplying food aid to 73 million needy people this year.
Josette Sheeran, the organisation’s executive director, told journalists yesterday that this was the first time in its history that the WFP had appealed for funds, not because of a crisis caused by famine or war but because of market conditions. And she warned that if extra resources were not received before the beginning of May, food rations would have to be cut.
“This is the new face of hunger,” she said. “People are simply being priced out of food markets. It’s the first time we have been hit by a dramatic market surprise. We have never before had a situation where aggressive rises in food prices keep pricing our operations out of our reach.”
