3
June 2008: Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme
(WFP), speaking at the FAO High-Level Conference on World Food Security, which
convened from 3-5 June 2008, warned that the global food crisis is threatening
to “plunge another 130 million people into life threatening hunger.” She said
the world has the means to defeat hunger, but high fuel and food prices
threaten to “short circuit” this potential by undoing many of the achievements
made towards global food security. She endorsed the UN Task Force’s plan of
action and outlined the WFP’s contributions towards its implementation, including
working with governments to assess needs and vulnerabilities at the household
level and scaling up safety net programmes.

She
further called on all governments to make investments in medium and long-term
responses, to ensure access to food purchases for humanitarian purposes, and to
permit unhindered and safe movement of food within and across borders. [Statement]
[FAO
Conference website] [IISD RS
coverage]