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UN Secretary General issues message on World Food Day

13 October 2010 16:21 (UTC +04:00)

Although the number of hungry people has fallen from last yearâ€™s historic high of more than one billion, there are still 925 million hungry people in the world. We are continually reminded that the worldâ€™s food systems are not working in ways that ensure food security for the most vulnerable members of our societiesâ€, said the UN Secretary General in his message.

â€œThis year alone, millions have been thrown into life-threatening hunger by the earthquake in Haiti, drought in the Sahel and floods in Pakistan. The food and financial crises continue to affect the worldâ€™s most vulnerable. Food prices remain volatile and recently hit a two-year high.

This yearâ€™s theme for World Food Day, â€œUnited Against Hunger,â€ reflects a welcome development: a growing number of governments, intergovernmental organizations, regional and sub-regional bodies, businesses and civil society groups are forming partnerships and implementing joint solutions. Increasingly, their approach is comprehensive -- focusing on more stable supplies of food, better access to food and optimizing nutrition at the household level. They cover the full spectrum of food security, from smallholder farming to feeding schoolchildren. They help save lives in emergencies through food assistanceâ€.

The UN Secretary General urged everyone to work towards such a comprehensive approach, and to do so in partnership, so that we can build on the progress we have made in reducing the numbers of hungry people. â€œLet us unite against hunger and ensure food and nutrition security for allâ€, he said.