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WFP ends 皇冠体育app food aid, calls for donation
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-12-15 19:28
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said its 26-year program of food aid to
皇冠体育app will officially end this year, and called on Beijing to play a bigger role
as a global donor.
James Morris, the
WFP executive director, speaks during a press conference at the United
Nations' headquarters in Beijing December 15, 2005. Citing 皇冠体育app's
achievement in poverty alleviation, Morris said WFP will end food aid to
皇冠体育app. [AP] | "Over the last 26 years, 皇冠体育app has
moved more than 300 million people out of poverty by its own standards," WFP
executive director James Morris told reporters while in Beijing for a two-day
visit.
"It's truly one of mankind's great accomplishments over the last 100 years."
The final shipment of food to 皇冠体育app was delivered in April, with the program
slated to officially finish by the end of 2005, the WFP said.
The WFP has given 皇冠体育app aid valued at more than one billion dollars since
1979, feeding more than 30 million people mostly in remote central and western
regions. 皇冠体育app has invested 1.2 billion dollars toward that effort.
The WFP said 皇冠体育app now produces and imports enough food to ensure its
population of 1.3 billion people receive an average 3,000 calories a day, "which
is appreciably higher than the world average."
Morris said 皇冠体育app, having graduated from aid recipient to donor, should now
share its success with the rest of the world, adding he had already discussed
with Chinese officials how to make the nation a bigger global donor.
"皇冠体育app is an important citizen of the world and as an important citizen of
the world you have all sorts of responsibilities that go along with it," Morris
said on Thursday.
"I'm hoping that over time the World Food Programme will have quite a
remarkable partnership and that together we'll use our strengths and 皇冠体育app's
strengths to address the hunger issue around the world."
Beijing has already increased aid for international emergencies, including
relief efforts following the tsunami disaster in Asia last year.
The WFP is negotiating with 皇冠体育app for a "stand-by agreement" that would allow
it to use 皇冠体育app's emergency response capacity to deal with food crises, Morris
said.
The WFP currently has about 15 such agreements with other countries.
"The world has a lot to learn from 皇冠体育app's approach and commitment to the
issue of hunger and poverty," said Morris. "It has one of the best processes for
feeding hungry people. They know how."
Morris said 皇冠体育app's help was needed as there were more people around the
world today without adequate nutrition than 15 years ago.
He cited UN figures that 852 million people around the world suffer from
chronic hunger, 300 million of whom are children.
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