World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Soaring maize prices in several southern African countries are causing WFP serious concern as it struggles to provide food to the most needy people while faced with a huge funding shortfall.

Brussels - WFP welcomes a cash donation of five million euros from Belgium which will allow the agency to provide urgently needed food to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Niger, Mali, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Johannesburg WFP applauds the United States for making an early and generous donation of more than US$50 million to the agency\'s feeding programmes in southern Africa where more than 10 million people are in urgent need of food assistance.

Rome - WFP heralds the announcement by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of a major push to save millions of people on the brink of famine in the Horn of Africa and the victims of humanitarian crises elsewhere in Africa. The announcement at the White House brings the United States\' funding for humanitarian emergencies in Africa to more than US$2 billion, and the United Kingdom\'s support to some US$300 million.

Johannesburg - More than 10 million people will need humanitarian assistance in six countries across southern Africa over the coming year following yet another year of poor agricultural production caused by erratic weather together with late, and in some cases unaffordable inputs, such as fertilizer and seeds, two UN agencies and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) warn.

United Nations, New York With one African in three malnourished, the prevalence of hunger is an accurate barometer for the level of social instability in the continent, warned WFP Executive Director James T. Morris.

Rome At least 200,000 people have taken part in a round-the-clock, round-the-world event in 269 cities and towns in 91 countries, raising awareness about child hunger across the globe and sufficient funds to feed more than 50,000 hungry children for a year.

WFP and FAO welcome an extremely generous 140 million rand (US$21.5 million) contribution from the Republic of South Africa to the agencies’ operations in southern Africa.

Brussels - WFP today launched an appeal for US$404 million to support a monthly average of 1.5 million people in five southern African countries ravaged by the "triple threat" of food shortages, high HIV/AIDS rates and weakened capacity for governance.