End Hunger Blog

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami: How to Help

If you want to help respond to the humanitarian emergency caused by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, below are some pages that have compiled an extensive set of relief-related resources:

• Network for Good: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
• Yahoo: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

A variety of resources are also available on this Google Crisis Response page.

Haiti Earthquake Relief: How to Help

If you want to help respond to the humanitarian emergency caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti, below are some pages that have compiled an extensive set of relief-related resources:

• Google: Support Disaster Relief in Haiti
• Network for Good: Haiti Relief
• New York Times: Haiti Disaster Relief: How to Contribute

Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone: How You Can Help

If you would like to assist people impacted by the cyclone in Myanmar (Burma), Network for Good has a list of organizations that are accepting donations.

For more information:

• Center for International Disaster Information - Myanmar Storm
• ReliefWeb: Myanmar - Tropical Cyclone Nargis
• Food Aid Flights Set Off for Cyclone-hit Myanmar (UN World Food Programme - May 7, 2008)

"Feast Against Famine" Fundraiser to Take Place in Wilmington, NC on February 22

On Friday, February 22, the Full Belly Project, a non-profit organization that works to reduce hunger and create economic opportunities in developing countries by designing and distributing labor-saving, locally replicable agricultural devices (such as the Universal Nut Sheller), will hold their 6th annual fundraiser.

The event will include food, music, raffles, and a silent and live auction (some example of auction items can be found here) and will take place from 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm at the Scottish Rite Temple, 1415 S. 17th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401.  Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at the locations listed below.  You can also call (910) 452-0975 for more information.

• Three Hounds Gallery, 29 South Front Street
• Boomballotti's Homemade Ice Cream, 7401 Heartwood Place
• Bottega Art & Wine, 208 N. Front Street
• Emory's Crystals, 354 Nutt Street
• Old Books on Front St, 22 N Front Street
• Pomengranate Books, 4418 Park Ave.
• Pure Life Health Food & Vitamins, 22 N Front Street
• Tidal Creek Co-op, 5329 Oleander Drive

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Provides $306 Million in Grants for Agricultural Development to Help Fight Hunger and Poverty

To help improve the lives of millions of small farmers in Africa and other parts of the developing world, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced a $306 million package of agricultural development grants.  This funding nearly doubles the foundation's total investments in agriculture since the mid-2006 launch of its Agricultural Development initiative, part of the foundation's Global Development Program.  The foundation plans to invest a total of $900 million through 2008 in this area.

"If we are serious about ending extreme hunger and poverty around the world, we must be serious about transforming agriculture for small farmers—most of whom are women," said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. "These investments—from improving the quality of seeds, to developing healthier soil, to creating new markets—will pay off not only in children fed and lives saved. They can have a dramatic impact on poverty reduction as families generate additional income and improve their lives."

As described in the grant announcement, the specific grants are to:

• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
  African Soil Health Program: $164.5 million
  To revitalize Africa's severely depleted soils in order to increase the fertility and sustainability of small-scale farms and raise the yield and income of farmers, thus alleviating hunger and poverty. The project aims to boost the incomes and improve the well-being of more than 4.1 million smallholder farmers through 50 to 100 percent increases in their crop yields.

• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
  Stress-Tolerant Rice for Poor Farmers in Africa and South Asia: $19.8 million
  To reduce poverty and hunger and increase food and income security of resource-poor farm families and rice consumers in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa through the development and dissemination of stress tolerant rice. Within three years, the project expects that 300,000 farmers in South Asia and 100,000 farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa will have adopted the initial set of improved varieties.

• International Development Enterprises (IDE)
  India MicroIrrigation: Enabling Smallholder Prosperity: $27 million
  To develop affordable microirrigation technologies for small farmers, create the private sector supply chain to deliver the technologies, promote and train farmers to use microirrigation, and link farmers to high-value crop markets. In partnership with IDE-India, the project expects to reach 250,000 smallholder farmers with microirrigation technologies in four years, significantly increasing their net annual income.

• TechnoServe
  Doubling Coffee Incomes in East Africa: $46.9 million
  To help small farmers in East Africa increase their coffee prices by improving coffee quality, and increasing high-quality coffee production and training to link them to premium coffee buyers. Over four years, the project aims to double the coffee incomes of 182,000 smallholder coffee farmers.

• Heifer International
  East Africa Dairy Development: $42.8 million
  To help small dairy farmers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda double their income by developing stronger links to the formal sector, while at the same time increasing the quality of their milk to sell into the traditional sector. Within four years, Heifer International and its partners expect to double the dairy incomes of 179,000 smallholder dairy farmers.

• CARE
  Strengthening the Dairy Value Chain in Bangladesh: $5.2 million
  To improve the incomes of landless and small farmers by enhancing their participation in the milk value chain through increased production, improved quality, enhanced animal health services and better access to transport and markets. In partnership with CARE Bangladesh, the project aims to link 35,000 farmer households to the dairy value chain over four years.

For more information:

• $306 Million Commitment to Agricultural Development (press release)
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: Agricultural Development Initiative

2007 Hunger and Homelessness Survey of U.S. Cities Released

As a follow-up to a prior post, a press conference was held today at which The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Sodexho, Inc. released the results of the 2007 Hunger and Homelessness Survey (PDF). 

This report documents the problem of hunger and homelessness during the period of November 1, 2006 through October 31, 2007 based on information provided by the following U.S. cities -- Boston, MA; Charleston, SC; Charlotte, SC; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Denver, CO; Des Moines, IA; Detroit, MI; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; Louisville, KY; Miami, FL; Nashville, TN; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Providence, RI; Salt Lake City, UT; San Francisco, CA; Santa Monica, CA; Seattle, WA; St. Paul, MN; and Trenton, NJ.

In summarizing the findings on hunger, the report states (page 10):

Overall, it appears that the need for emergency food assistance programs is continuing to increase and that cities are facing many challenges in responding to the demand for assistance. However, cities are also making progress toward eliminating hunger by increasing capacity at current programs, advocating for funding, and implementing creative responses to the problem.

A link to the complete 2007 report is provided below.  This report also contains the questionnaire used in the survey.

• 2007 Hunger and Homelessness Survey (PDF)
• 2006 Hunger and Homelessness Survey (PDF)
• 2005 Hunger and Homelessness Survey (PDF)

"Menu For Hope" Online Fundraiser to Fight Hunger Ends on December 21

The 4th annual "Menu for Hope" fundraising program to fight hunger runs from December 10 - 21, 2007.  Menu for Hope was created and is organized by food blogger Pim Techamuanvivi and is an online raffle, where for every $10 you receive a raffle ticket that you can use to enter a drawing for one of many culinary prizes that have been donated from people around the world.  This year's program will support the United Nations World Food Programme's (WFP) work in Lesotho.

"It is difficult to imagine two worlds that are further apart – the high-end culinary world and rural African farmers,” said WFP Director of Public Policy Strategy, Nancy Roman. “But by coming together, the global community of foodies can make a real difference to poor people who struggle daily with hunger and survival."

For more information:

• Menu for Hope 4: Overview, Prize List, and Raffle Entry Site
• Internet community connects with African farmers in campaign to feed the hungry (UN WFP)
• UN WFP - Lesotho

"World Hunger Relief Week" Raises More than $12 Million

As a follow-up to the prior post "World Hunger Relief Week" is October 14 - 20, a recent AP article reports that Yum estimates that its World Hunger Relief Week campaign raised $12 million to $15 million and that it mobilized more than four million volunteer hours to support hunger relief efforts, such as volunteering at food banks.  Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme, said "I think Yum has made a little history in the fight against hunger."

Food from UN World Food Programme Provides Daily Meals in Mogadishu

Beginning in late November the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and SAACID began to provide daily meals in Mogadishu, Somalia.  This marked the WFP's first "wet feeding" in Somalia since 1993.  WFP and SAACID are planning to provide meals to up to 50,000 people each day.

According to a WFP press release, the agency was forced to start this program after fatal shooting incidents halted distributions of WFP dry rations in Mogadishu in June. As one-month rations of dried food are stored in the homes of recipients, they are more likely to be stolen than prepared meals eaten on site.

"The depth and scale of the crisis in Somalia is extremely alarming to us all - in some parts acute malnutrition levels surpass emergency threshold levels," said WFP Somalia Country Director Peter Goossens.  "We urge everyone to respect this vital humanitarian operation, which is feeding the desperately hungry."

Goossens also said that insecurity in Mogadishu was also causing the disruption of markets with consequent hyperinflation. There is a lack of employment, and a shortage of medical and sanitation facilities. Malnutrition rates in the capital are rising, with acute malnutrition rates among children under the age of 5 years estimated to be reaching 15 percent or more.

With food assistance needs rising, WFP is appealing to donors to close a $31 million funding gap. WFP private sector partner YUM! Brands recently announced a $1 million contribution from the funds it raised during its World Hunger Relief Week campaign in October. This is the largest corporate donation to WFP Somalia.  For more information:

• East Africa Crisis (UN World Food Programme)
• End Hunger Blog: Somalia

Survey of Hunger and Homelessness in U.S. Cities to be Released on Monday, December 17

On Monday, December 17, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern) a press conference will be held to release the results of the 2007 Hunger and Homelessness Survey.  The press conference will be held at the headquarters of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (1620 I Street, NW, 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006).  You can also obtain a copy of surveys from prior years, including:

• 2006 Hunger and Homelessness Survey (PDF)
• 2005 Hunger and Homelessness Survey (PDF)