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Hunger in the news

A daily selection of news reports from the world's media dealing with hunger and responses to it.
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Hunger in the news
16 November 2009

UN Summit's New Approach To Hunger Fight

World leaders at a food summit have rallied around a new strategy to fight global hunger and help poor countries feed themselves, but failed to pledge funds sought by the U.N.(..)In one Kenyan village, for example, an irrigation project is credited with not only reducing hunger there, but also allowing farmers to produce enough rice to sell surplus to the U.N. World Food Agency to help feed African's hungry.
Associated Press (AP)
Hunger in the news
16 November 2009

Summit Opens With Censure of Greed, Speculation

A United Nations summit on food security opened with leaders slamming rich nations for worsening world hunger by allowing speculation in agricultural markets and using subsidies that hurt production in developing nations.(..)“We have had a warning call with the triple threat of the food, fuel and financial crisis,” Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Programme, said in an interview today. “Food security is back as one of the central issues of humanity; if you read human history it is the pursuit of food security.”
Bloomberg
Hunger in the news
16 November 2009

Richest countries ignore Hunger Summit

(..) Agency head Josette Sheeran told Reuters in an interview that they are hoping for one billion people to donate one euro ($1.50) a week to their appeal. Sheeran said the WFP is on track to raise only half of the $6.7 billion it needs for this year. "The problem at the moment is that the WFP probably has ten or 12 acute emergencies on its hands, each one complex, each one with its own compelling situation and none that can really afford to be neglected," Sheeran said.
Deutsche Welle
Hunger in the news
15 November 2009

An update on fighting hunger in Afghanistan and Iraq

In Iraq, the United Nations World Food Programme is set to start a school feeding program for impoverished Iraqi children on November 16th. The program was to get underway at the end of September but delays in food procuremement and customs delayed the start of the school meals which will benefit 170,000 Iraqi children.
California Chronicle
Hunger in the news
15 November 2009

EU, FAO boost Pakistani small farmers' food production

Just in time for the upcoming planting season, the European Union (EU) put in motion a major effort to turn the tide of rising hunger in Pakistan. (..) In Pakistan, the EU works with FAO and WFP, funding a €40 million operation through to June 2011. While WFP was providing food assistance to nearly 600,000 farmers and labourers, the FAO helped small-scale farmers increase their production.
Daily Times (Pakistan)
Hunger in the news
15 November 2009

First Lady urges Karamoja to cultivate food crops

The First Lady and Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, Janet Museveni, has urged the people of Nakapiripirit to grow crops and stop relying on food relief. (..) The gardens are supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation through ACTED.
New Vision
Hunger in the news
15 November 2009

Kenya harvest example on reversing food shortage

Joram Abiero remembers it was not too long ago that his neighbors went to bed hungry. Now they and thousands of others in the lowlands of western Kenya are able to get year-round work as farm laborers or earn money from their once-neglected rice paddies. (..) Ahero rice farmers have been able to sell their surplus to the U.N.'s World Food Program, Kenya's national food agency, the National Cereals and Produce Board, among others.
Associated Press (AP)
Hunger in the news
15 November 2009

U.N.: One billion worldwide face starvation

The World Food Programme's "Billion for a Billion" campaign aims to reach 1 billion individuals. "If a billion Internet users donate a dollar or a euro a week, we can literally transform the lives of a billion hungry people across the world," said Josette Sheeran, executive director of WFP.
CNN
Hunger in the news
15 November 2009

WFP: 1 Billion Hungry People in World

WFP launched the Billion for a Billion online campaign Saturday (..)She said donor governments have supported WFP efforts in the past, but they cannot be expected to do so anymore because of the financial pressure they are facing in the worldwide economic downturn.
VOA News (USA)
Hunger in the news
14 November 2009

Dr. Tererai Trent (By Nicholas Kristof)

My Sunday column tells the extraordinary story of Tererai Trent, who grew up impoverished in northern Zimbabwe and was able (..) to get an education. (..) So does a free school lunch program (through UNICEF and WFP), at 11 cents per child per school day.
The New York Times