Britain urges world to unite against hunger
* One in three child deaths are linked to malnutrition
* 171 million children are so malnourished that they can never
physically recover
UK: British Prime Minister David Cameron was to call on world
powers on Sunday to boost their efforts to tackle malnutrition across
the globe.
Taking advantage of the large number of foreign officials gathered in
London for the Olympic Games, Cameron was to urge international action
to save 25 million children from stunted growth over the next four
years.
The “hunger summit” at his Downing Street residence is being
co-hosted by Vice President Michel Temer of Brazil, which will host the
next Summer Olympics at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
“While people around the planet have been enjoying and competing in
these Games there's another world where children don't have enough to
eat,” Cameron was to say.
“The figures are shocking. One in three child deaths are linked to
malnutrition. And 171 million children are so malnourished by the age of
two that they can never physically recover,” he added.
“Even if malnourished children are able to fight off sickness and
infection in their earliest years, their bodies and minds never fully
develop.
“It is a tragedy for them, and it's a tragedy for their societies
they live in. Children who could grow up to become doctors, farmers,
engineers and entrepreneurs or great Olympians are left far behind.”
Cameron was set to pledge 120 million ($188 million, 153 million euros)
from Britain to fund research into drought-resistant and
vitamin-enhanced crops for Africa and South Asia.
The research could help the regions grow 11 million more tonnes of
cereals, feeding up to 45 million people for a year, Downing Street
said. Cameron was also due to announce British funding for a joint
programme with Switzerland and Ireland helping people in developing
countries to hold officials to account over food aid.
Another programme in Kenya will support a mobile texting scheme to
allow early warning of “hunger hotspots”, so that food supplies can be
delivered more quickly, Downing Street added.
World sport stars including Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie and
Brazilian footballer Pele were due to attend the summit, along with
ministers and international organisations.
The conference comes ahead of the closing ceremony for the London
Olympics on Sunday, which will see the Olympic flame extinguished in the
British capital and organisers hand over to the Rio 2016 team.
AFP
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