United Nations Radio

The UN food agency-WFP says it's rolling out an additional $1.2 billion in food assistance to help tens of millions of people in more than 60 countries hardest hit by the urgent food crisis.

The head of the World Food Programme Josette Sheeran told an international summit on food security in Rome that "with soaring food and fuel prices, hunger is on the march and we must act now."

She warns that "if we do not act quickly, the bottom billion will become the bottom two billion virtually overnight as their purchasing power is cut in half due to a doubling in food and fuel prices."

Ms. Sheeran says WFP is helping the world weather the storm by tripling the number of people who receive food in Haiti, doubling those who will receive food in Afghanistan and delivering more critical food assistance to people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

(Duration: 53")