United Nations Radio

World Bank President Robert Zoellick (photo) has sent a letter to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, as well as the Secretary-General and the other G8 leaders, in which he warns that soaring food and fuel prices are causing a substantial redistribution of income, creating poverty and social instability.

The World Bank chief says this is "a man-made catastrophe", one which must be fixed by people.

He urged the G8 countries and major oil producers to focus on the immediate needs of the most vulnerable, by boosting support for agriculture, as well as for the World Food Programme and the World Bank's own rapid financing facility for the most vulnerable countries.

Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund is calling on G8 leaders to give serious consideration to population and family planning issues, including maternal health, when they meet next week. And UNICEF on Thursday launches its fourth "Junior 8", or J-8, summit in Chitose City, Japan.

With an agenda that parallels the G8 itself, the meeting brings together delegates from the G8 and developing countries who are between 13 and 17 years old. Employing social networking tools, they will produce a communiqué laying out their recommendations to the G8 leaders.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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