Aid Agencies Warn Millions Face Hunger in Kenya

Millions of Kenyans risk hunger this year, according to the government and the U.N. World Food Program, unless international donors grappling with their own financial crises step in to provide massive aid. The World Food Program sent out teams this week to assess the extent of the crisis after yet another rash of crop failures caused by prolonged drought; the agency says historical data suggests 3.2 million people will need aid. In many of the worst affected areas, this is the third consecutive failed harvest. WFP estimates that $135 million will be needed to tackle the crisis through the expansion of emergency projects. ''This is a very alarming situation,'' WFP spokeswoman Gabrielle Menezes said as she led a group of journalists across a field filled with dry and broken cornstalks. ''People already hit by high food prices are struggling to feed themselves.''

Sean Penn's new PSA to fight world hunger

The United Nations World Food Program unveiled this PSA during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week. It has a pretty effective visual going for it, plus it has Sean Penn

DA chief Yap renews call for a global food reserve

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has renewed his plea to various governments for the establishment of a global food reserve to stabilize supply and prices in the world market. Such food reserve, particularly for rice and other cereals, would also act as an emergency supply in case of production shortfalls. Speaking before world leaders at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Food Security for All in Madrid last week, Yap said setting up a food reserve is urgent concern since there are indications that there would be another round of price spikes that would contribute to panic buying. He stressed the retreat of food prices at the moment is temporary. [...] When prices are too low, as it is today, he said the Reserve will buy rice stocks from producers to prevent the rice from being dumped into the market and depressing prices further, thus protecting the welfare of farmers. On the other hand, when prices are too high, the Reserve will protect consumers by releasing rice into the market, bought at a lower price, to stabilize supplies, he said. “These stocks can be pre-positioned around the globe to answer the call of the most vulnerable and operated by an existing organization like the World Food Programme, with a proven track record in food relief and management operations," Yap said. “This mechanism promotes certainty. And certainty dispels volatility."

Cholera infection rate climbs as UN cleared to assess crisis

The cholera infection rate is steadily rising this week, with almost 2000 cases added to the official figures released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday. [...] The new figures come as Robert Mugabe has finally consented to allow a top level United Nations assessment team to tour Zimbabwe to find ways to curb the cholera epidemic as well as the devastating hunger crisis. Critical food shortages across the country have seen the number of Zimbabweans in need of food aid rise to almost seven million people, and the situation has forced the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) to half its monthly rations of maize to cater for as many people as possible. WFP officials have said the ration cut will allow the group to reach an estimated 5.1 million starving Zimbabweans, but have also acknowledged that the new ration ‘falls below what is considered a survival ration.’ Those fortunate enough to receive food packages ‘would now have to find additional means to stay alive,’ WFP regional spokesperson Richard Lee told the UK’s Guardian news service. But in a country where there are few food sources and many families have been forced to survive on scavenged fruit and seeds, ‘additional means’ will be hard to find.