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Tackling world hunger painted as "moral challenge" by Brown

22/04/2008

Prime minister Gordon Brown has said tackling world hunger is a "moral challenge to each of us" and also threatens the "political and economic stability of nations".

Mr Brown is today meeting with food producers, retailers and consumers to discuss the growing world food crisis.

In an article published on the Downing Street website, the prime minister said the current food price situation is affecting not only people in the developing world but also those in the developed world.

People in the UK, for example, have seen their weekly grocery bill rise recently as the global crisis continues, Mr Brown said.

Today's meeting is expected to address the short and longer-term factors causing increased food prices within the UK and abroad.

The head of the UN World Food Programme, Josette Sheeran, told the BBC in an interview that she would be stressing the need for urgent action to tackle the global rise during the London meeting.

"We find that people are being thrown into the urgent category and we really want to make the point that the clock is ticking and we need to help people now meet their nutritional needs," she said.

"We're seeing about 100 million people ... who maybe didn't need assistance six months ago but today simply can't afford enough food for their family."

In his article, Mr Brown said that 25,000 people die every day from hunger-related causes and that food prices were now at their highest since 1945.

He also confirmed that the UK was pledging £30 million to support the World Food Programme's work worldwide.

A further £25 million was also pledged for social protection in Ethiopia.