|
THE
World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations said it
would need $756 million to meet its commitment to feed
the world’s 73 million hungry people this year.
In late
February, the WFP said it required an additional $500
million, on top of its original appeal for this year of
$2.9 billion, to carry out its efforts, but surging food
prices have led the UN agency to revise that figure
upward to $756 million.
The cost
of rice in
Thailand,
for example, swelled from $460 per metric ton (MT) on
March 3, to $780 per MT five weeks later.
The WFP
said it will only get worse, with supplies tightening
due to efforts of countries to ensure their supply of
the staple.
“We are
not looking at a picture anymore, we are watching a
movie,” said WFP’s Christiane Berthiaume.
To date,
WFP said $900 million has been received by the agency.
Meanwhile, the unabated increase in the price of food,
particularly in poor and developing countries like the
Philippines, prompted the UN to organize a summit on
food security in
Rome,
Italy.
The
three-day event, to start on June 3 at the headquarters
of UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will
try to discuss solutions to prevent a food crisis in the
future.
FAO said
the summit will be a “golden opportunity to adopt
policies, strategies and programs that will enable us to
face the major challenges currently confronting [the
world], which aside from the price surges, include the
question of agricultural production, especially in poor
countries.” J. A. Ng |
