WFP | United Nations World Food Programme - Fighting Hunger Worldwide



Era of Falling Food Prices Seen at End on Growth in Population (Feb 6)
Food prices tracked by the FAO climbed to the highest ever a year ago on surging grain prices. (..) The era of falling food prices has come to an end with the world population set to add another 2 billion people, according to Cargill Inc., the U.S. farm commodities trader.


Use Rio+20 to overhaul idea of growth, urges EU climate chief (Feb 6)
Overconsumption of critical resources and the rising prices of key commodities such as food, energy and natural materials as a result, risk derailing the world economy – but these problems will not be tackled unless today's economic models are overhauled, according to Connie Hedegaard, EU commissioner for climate action. (..) Hedegaard was one of the signatories to a report last week from the UN secretary-general's high level panel on global sustainability, which will feed into the Rio+20 summit in June.


World Food Program to Feed 1 Million Zimbabweans Through March (Feb 6)
WFP deputy country director Simon Camelbeeck cautioned though that the food program, set to run through March and already benefiting at least 150,000 people nationwide, may be hampered by a funding gap of $12 million. Camelbeeck said the beneficiaries are currently receiving a food basket which includes maize meal, cooking oil and beans.


WFP Launches “6 Degrees Of Freerice” (Feb 6)
World Freerice Week kicked off on Monday, with a special call going out to the million registered players of the online trivia game that helps fight hunger. During the week, FreeRice players are encouraged to recruit at least six of their friends to join the community, in line with the popular theory that we are all connected to everyone else in the world - including the hungry - through no more than six people.


Famine in Somalia is over, says UN (Feb 3)
The famine is over in Somalia thanks to good rains, a bumper harvest and donor aid, but the next 90 days will be critical to ensure the country does not slip back into extreme hunger, United Nations officials have said. (..) The announcement came on the release of a new report by the FAO-managed food security and nutrition analysis unit and USAID's famine early warning systems network, which said the number of people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance had dropped from 4 million to 2.34 million, or 31% of the population. (..) The new report also warned that an estimated 325,000 acutely malnourished children are still at risk, with 70% of these in southern areas.


S.Sudan oil shutdown to increase food aid dependence: UN (Feb 3)
South Sudan's decision to shut down its oil output will make many more people dependent on food aid in one of the world's most undeveloped nations, the United Nations said. (..) "The situation in the country is extremely precarious, and the risk of a dangerous decline is very real," said Valerie Amos, U.N. under-secretary for humanitarian affairs. South Sudan in 2012 will see an earlier and "longer season of hunger" than last year, she said late on Thursday after visiting Pibor town in Jonglei state which has been hit hard by tribal violence. (..) The U.N. World Food Program warns one third of its population will require food aid this year.


New Gates Foundation tourist attraction in Seattle much more than a ‘museum of philanthropy’ (Feb 2)
People are already joking it’s a good thing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation isn’t charging admission for its new visitor center, which showcases Bill Gates’ multibillion-dollar philanthropy, not his computers. While it’s not exactly a “museum of philanthropy,” it’s also not just a public promotion of the Gates Foundation’s work. (..) “We know that there’s interest and passion for our work. We haven’t had a way to invite the public in to learn about our history, what we do and how we partner with others, and to think about what they can do,” said Martha Choe, chief administrative officer of the foundation.


Global land grab could trigger conflict, report says (Feb 2)
The global rush for land in developing countries around the world could trigger a new wave of civil unrest if governments fail to recognise the rights of those using land without formal legal titles, according to new studies.


TechnoTalk - WFP launches 'World Freerice Week' (Feb 2)
The World Food Programme, the U.N. food aid agency, which is behind the Freerice game launched in 2007, is giving it a new twist for next week, which it has dubbed World Freerice Week (Feb. 6-11). Based on the "Six Degrees of Separation" theory, which asserts that everyone in the world is connected to every other person through at most six other people, it's asking players to recruit six friends to join in the online fight against hunger. (..) "With 6 Degrees of Freerice, we’re on our way to harnessing the power of online networks to make a difference in the fight against hunger," said Nancy Roman, WFP’s communications director.


WFP To Feed 70,000 People In Flood-Hit Mozambique (Feb 2)
WFP is working to provide emergency food aid to more than 70,000 people affected by cyclones and severe flooding in Mozambique. Distributions started on Thursday in the central Zambezia province.