G7 must act to help tackle global hunger crisis-German UN food agency - Reuters.com

People pick up their accreditation in the G7 press centre in the southern Bavarian resort where the G7 Summit will be held, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle/

BERLIN, June 25 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven wealthy countries must ramp up humanitarian aid to help tackle a global hunger crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, a senior official of the United Nations' food agency in Germany was quoted as saying on Saturday.

The group begins a three-day meeting in Bavaria, Germany, on Sunday against the backdrop of a UN warning that the world faces "an unprecedented global hunger crisis" as commodity prices soar.

"Hunger can destabilize countries and is thus a key peace and security issue," German World Food Programme director Martin Frick told the country's news organisation RND, noting that current food price inflation running at over 25% in 36 countries was a "time bomb".

He also reiterated that the World Food Programme was probably going to get no more than half of the $21.5 billion it needs this year, so more aid was needed.

Food security is expected to be on the agenda of the G7 meeting after the presidency launched a Global Alliance for Food Security in May to tackle hunger.

"There must be a common understanding that this crisis can no longer be solved by sticking plasters, but that the system must be changed," Frick said.

Reporting by Zuzanna Szymanska; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise

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