By Caroline Henshaw
The cost of feed millions of hungry people increased sharply in 2010 as a result of increases in Grain prices, which in turn raised the cost of basic foods, according to the World Food Programme (WFP, for its acronym in English) released Tuesday.
Figures released prior to the annual report of the program show that while the agency of the United Nations purchased 22% more food last year than in 2009, the amount spent rose 30% to reach U.S. $ 1,250 million .
purchases of wheat, representing 39% of supplies, cost 59% more last year as a result of the organization struggled to feed people displaced by devastating floods in Pakistan. The average cost of a tonne of wheat rose to $ 246 in 2010 compared with $ 218 a year earlier.
Figures met amid growing concern about food safety. Data from the UN agency show that global food prices in January exceeded the maximum seen during the food crisis of 2007 and 2008.
food inflation is also blamed for having created disturbances in northern Africa, which toppled the president of Tunisia, which had been in office for a long time and left about 300 people dead after the protests turned violent in Egypt.
"When there is an increase in international prices go up the premises, so that our ability to help people is reduced, "said Estelle Abeer, spokesman for the UN agency in Cairo. Egypt is the largest importer of wheat in the world, and provides subsidized bread to 80% of the population at a cost of about U.S. $ 4,000 million annually, equivalent to 1.8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Other governments have also taken steps to keep a lid on food inflation.
Only in January, Algeria imported more than two million tonnes of wheat in the Macquarie analyst, Alex Bos, sees "a clear attempt to increase domestic inventory as a precaution against the kind of disorder that occurred in Egypt" .
The Jordanian government also announced a grant package of $ 125 million for fuel and basic foodstuffs, like sugar and rice, while the Moroccan government, which heavily subsidizes food, is committed to maintaining accessible price levels "at all costs."
"Not only in Egypt but throughout the region, Governments will continue pumping money into food systems to ensure that subsidies are retained, "said Estelle.
For WFP, this means to feed the growing numbers of poor people is a task that will have to face at a time that many government budgets already under pressure.
Caroline Hurford, a spokeswoman for the WFP, which feeds 90 million people a year, said the agency has been working to increase local purchases of grain to offset rising prices international.
"During 2010 our major regional shopping were made in Pakistan Ethiopia and South Africa, "he said." Of the 3.2 million tonnes of food bought in 2010, 2.6 million tonnes were bought in developing countries, representing 83% of the total amount purchased for the year " .
Althoughsaid the increase reflects increases in international grain markets, other local factors such as transport costs and quality changes also affect prices.
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