ROME - A UN agency says it needs US$5.2 billion (S$7.6 billion) for urgent food aid and is calling on countries to contribute a fraction of what they are proposing for financial rescue packages.
The Rome-based World Food Program said in a statement on Tuesday that it aims to feed nearly 100 million people next year.
It said that if no funds are raised, millions in Haiti, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya and other hot spots will run out of food assistance by the end of March.
Some of the money being sought is also included in a wider UN appeal for the neediest countries.
Executive Director Josette Sheeran said 1 per cent of what is planned for financial rescue packages in the United States and Europe could fully fund the agency's aid programme. -- AP
