Health News

Richest nations urged to help stem the food crisis (Roundup)

Apr 29, 2008, 15:00 GMT

Berne/Geneva - The UN and the World Bank urged the world's richest countries Tuesday to 'feed the hungry' to try to stem the 'unprecedented' global food crisis that was threatening the world's most vulnerable people. At a press conference in the Swiss capital Berne, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged governments to respond swiftly to UN appeals for another 2.5 billion dollars in food aid. He also urged producer countries to lift embargoes on food exports immediately instead of using them to resolve the issue at home. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said, at the same press conference, the next two weeks were critical: 'These controls encourage hoarding, drive up prices and hurt the poorest people around the world.' It was not a natural disaster, he said, but for many 'it is a catastrophe.' He estimated that a further 100 million people have been driven into poverty by an 80 per cent rise in food prices in the past three years. He welcomed Ukraine's decision to lift restrictions on wheat exports that had resulted in an immediate fall in prices. The head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Pascal Lamy said the crisis underlined, more than ever, the need to conclude the Doha round of world trade talks aimed at abolishing barriers and liberalizing markets. Ban Ki-moon said: 'We must feed the hungry' unveiling a number of measures including plans for a new UN task force to tackle the food crisis. Later, in a speech at the UN in Geneva he addressed the threat the crisis posed to attaining the UN's eight key Millennium Development Goals. He said rising food prices had dealt the world 'another blow, seemingly out of the blue.' They had been pushed up by growing demand from developing nations, natural disasters, the use of crops for biofuels as well as panic buying. 'It threatens to undo all our good work. If not managed properly, it could touch off a cascade of related crises - affecting trade, economic growth, social progress and even political security around the world,' he said.

View blog reactions

Latest Headlines in Health

Talkback

Add your comment (no registration required)

page: 1

An Amendment to the Ten CommandmentsMay 2nd, 2008 - 08:53:02

~Help one another to survive instead of destroying life and limb~

Note: Thou shalt not kill does not go far enough.

Now, light your torch.

Report this comment

page: 1

Add your comment (no registration required)

Video News

Latest from M&C Blogs

Gordon Brown calls on G8 leaders to secure trade deal - Global Eye on July 4, 2008 3:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

McCain, Obama clash over gay marriage - Global Eye on July 2, 2008 5:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

President Mugabe attends African Union summit - Global Eye on July 1, 2008 2:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Algae bloom threatening Olympic sailing events - The World in Pictures on July 4, 2008 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Recreation of the Argo - The World in Pictures on July 2, 2008 7:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Nigh' by Spanish artist Antonio Lope - The World in Pictures on July 2, 2008 7:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Health

Health News

Richest nations urged to help stem the food crisis (Roundup)

Latest Headlines in Health

Talkback

Most Popular Articles on M&C Today

Video News

Latest from M&C Blogs

Similar articles

In Monsters and Critics

Corporate

The Fine Print