Bangkok--Jun 1--WFP
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and its partner TNT, global provider of express, logistics and mail services, are teaming up with a glittering array of well-known figures around the world to show how one collective footstep can transform the lives of the world’s poorest children.
On Sunday, June 12, 2005, more than 200,000 people in over 200 cities around the world are expected to join in the battle against child hunger by taking part in walking events.
Last year’s first ‘Walk the World’ event raised enough money in 72 countries to fund meals for over 30,000 school children in the developing world. This year Fight Hunger: Walk the World aims to raise over Baht 100 million (US$2.5 million) for WFP’s global school feeding programme, moving one step closer to permanently eradicating child hunger.
The event will remind people of the heartrending fact that in a world which produces more than enough food for everyone, some 18,000 children die of hunger every day. Another 300 million children suffer chronic hunger; 100 million do not attend school.
In Bangkok, Walk the World will be held at Vachirabenjatas Park (Suan Rod Fai) on 12 June. Her Excellency Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, will open and preside over the walk. Khunying Sudarat’s team will join WFP and TNT staff, partners, families and friends as we walk 2.5 kilometres to fight world hunger.
Registration for the walk will start at 9 am. The walk will take place from 10 am to 12 noon.
The cost of the walk is Baht 150 for the general public. All proceeds will go to the school feeding projects of the UN World Food Programme (WFP). All too often children — particularly girls — are deprived of education because their families cannot afford to send their children to school. Yet educating girls is one of the best ways of escaping the cycle of poverty and hunger. WFP expects to reach 5 million school children in poor and remote areas of Asia in 2005.
Those who are unable to join the walk can still help out by donating money through the Walk the World website: www.fighthunger.org.
“In a world where war and disaster spawn countless human tragedies which compete for attention, the silent plight of the hungry — especially children, the world’s future — is an urgent call we must all answer,” said James Morris, WFP Executive Director. “This walk is as important as it is inspiring to our mission to end hunger.”
“With its exceptional generosity in logistics and transport, as well as advocacy on behalf of the hungry, TNT has made an immeasurable contribution to WFP’s fight against world hunger,” said Morris. “This partnership is a brilliant example of the private sector putting its people, resources and expertise to work to ease the suffering of so many of our fellow human beings.”
The Walk the World events around the world are as diverse as their locations: in Rome, where WFP is headquartered, the Mayor will open the event and lead walkers through the ancient ruins, including around the Colosseum. In Montreal the event coincides with the Grand Prix du Canada: a group of 20 VIPs, including the Prime Minister of Quebec, the Mayor of Montreal, famous athletes and artists, will follow the flag parade which takes place minutes before the final Grand Prix race. In Africa, around 100,000 school children will walk against hunger in Malawi, while across the continent, the first post-conflict walks are planned for Sierra Leone and Liberia. In Cairo, Walk the World will cover the 3km to the Pyramids and in New York, walkers will congregate at the Hunger Memorial. Elephants will be helping to stamp out hunger in New Delhi, by leading the walkers. Hot on the tail of last year’s Olympics, the Athens walk will be led by a European Champion athlete. In Lisbon the event will be preceded by a run led by Kenyan world champion marathon runner, Paul Tergat, a former school feeding beneficiary. Colombo will again walk in an event made more poignant by the tsunami last December.
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, we give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 56 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People.
WFP Global School Feeding Campaign — For just 19 US cents a day, you can help WFP give children in poor countries a healthy meal at school — a gift of hope for a brighter future.
Visit our website: www.wfp.org
For more information please contact:
In Bangkok: Parichat Buranatanit 02-659-8651; Nick Keyes 02-659-8690 or email [email protected]
Internationally
Ramin Rafirasme, WFP Walk the World Communications Coordinator, Tel. +39-06-6513 2684, Mob + 39 335 843 2961 email: [email protected]
Jos Driessen, TNT Group Media Relations, Tel +31 20 500 6238, Mob: +31 6 13 73 37 83 email: [email protected]
Brenda Barton, Deputy Director Communications, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39-06-65132602, Mob. +39-3472582217 email: [email protected] End.