08.05.2008, 10:44 2642

854 million people all over the world suffer from chronic famine - United Nations

854 million people all over the world suffer from chronic famine. These data are the result of the new report of the UN Secretary General on agriculture, the agency reports referring to the UN news center.

Almaty. May 8. Kazakhstan Today - 854 million people all over the world suffer from chronic famine. These data are the result of the new report of the UN Secretary General on agriculture, the agency reports referring to the UN news center.

According to the report, despite of continuous growth of manufacture of agricultural production, 854 million people all over the world suffer from chronic famine. 820 million from them live in developing countries, 25 million people - in the countries with transition economy and 9 million people - in industrially developed states.

The report has been submitted for consideration of the participants of the 16th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. It began its work on May, 5 in the UN headquarters in New York and will be prolonged till May 16. The delegates from the UN member countries and nongovernmental organizations will consider prospects of agricultural development. They will discuss ways of struggle against drought and desertification.

At the meeting, the Assistant Secretary General on Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang emphasized that despite of global progress in struggle against poverty achieved after 1990, especially in Asia, "poverty still exists especially in rural areas."

Having noted, that present food crisis threatens with expansion of poverty level and famine in the world, S. Zukang drew attention to the fact that for the last five years, especially in the last few months and weeks, world prices for food have sharply gone up.

The Assistant Secretary General stated that further growth of agricultural production will strengthen food security, as well as reduce level of poverty, especially in developing countries.

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