L’AQUILA, Italy (July 10, 2009)— Key questions remain unanswered as to whether today’s announcement of US$20 billion over three years for food and agriculture will truly deliver for one billion people suffering from hunger.

Despite the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative, an encouraging rebalancing between funding for food aid and aid for agriculture, the G8 is once again being opaque about the details of its financial commitments.

“The G8 wanted to pull a big rabbit out of the hat on the final day, but it’s still unclear how much of this sum is an illusion and how much is a real effort to end global hunger,” said World Vision’s Head of Public Affairs Patrick Watt

"How much of this is new money? Will it reach the countries most affected by hunger? Leaders have not said how the initiative will be rolled out; how much of it will be loans and how much grants? It is also unclear how much of this money will be tied.

“Significantly, the Initiative does not yet include a donor-by-donor breakdown, making accountability impossible,” said Watt.

“Every six seconds a child dies of hunger-related causes. Malnourished children in poor countries are twice as likely to die from such diseases as malaria and pneumonia. If this renewed focus on fighting global hunger is followed through, it will be the best decision the G8 leaders have made in L’Aquila. 
 
“Considering their failure to meet their promise to double aid to Africa by 2010, the G8 must seize this opportunity to help save millions of lives and demonstrate global leadership.”

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Notes to Editors:

• Visit http://www.g8action.org/
• World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

For more information or to interview World Vision Canada President and CEO Dave Toycen live from Italy, please contact: 

In L’Aquila:
Sharon Marshall
+1-416-616-9147
sharon_marshall@worldvision.ca

In Canada:
Tiffany Baggetta
905-565-6200 ext.2485
416-305-9612 (cell)
tiffany_baggetta@worldvision.ca