United Nations Radio

The World Food Programme (WFP) says that tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities around the world on Sunday to show their support for its work against global hunger.

According to WFP, the annual "End Hunger: Walk the World" initiative mobilized an estimated 300,000 people to raise awareness and funds for the agency's school feeding programme.

UN's walk against hunger

It says at least 200 walks took place in 70 countries across all 24 time zones starting with a climb up the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

The annual Walk the World event is sponsored by three of WFP's global private partners: express delivery company TNT, consumer goods company Unilever and nutrition and life science specialists DSM.

WFP says the largest walks were in Africa and in Europe the largest walk took place in Portugal.

The United Nations food agency adds that hundreds of supporters also joined a virtual online walk where donations were counted as miles walked with the objective of walking 25,000 miles around the world.

WFP says that more than 17,000 miles had been donated by Monday morning and the online walk will remain open at www.wfp.org/walktheweb until the end of June.

Donn Bobb, United Nations Radio.

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