UNITED NATIONS:THE WORLD Food Programme has launched an "extraordinary emergency appeal" to governments to donate at least $500 million (€323.8 million) in the next four weeks to avoid rationing food aid in response to the spiralling cost of food.
The WFP, the United Nations agency responsible for relieving hunger, said in a letter to donor countries that if fresh money did not arrive by May 1st, it might cut "the rations for those who rely on the world to stand by them during times of abject need".
The letter was sent to donor countries over the Easter holiday and shows that the threat of a cut in aid is real and imminent after several warnings from the WFP.
"We urge your government to be as generous as possible in helping us to close this gap - which stood at $500 million on February 25th and has been growing daily," wrote Josette Sheeran, WFP executive director.
The funding gap is now about $600 million to $700 million, officials said, after a 20 per cent jump in food costs in the past three weeks, the rise in the oil price to about $100 a barrel and a surge in shipping costs. The US is the largest contributor, having donated about $1.1 billion last year, mostly in food shipments. The European Union, with $250 million and Canada $160 million, are the second and third largest.
If the minimum $500 million extra funds arrive, the WFP budget is set to rise this year to $3.4 billion, about double the $1.7 billion the agency spent in 2000.
The WFP provides food to about 73 million people in nearly 80 countries.
- (Financial Times service)