By The Associated Press

Published: October 16, 2008


Dublin, Ireland. Much of the world is consumed by fears of recession and unemployment. But for nearly a billion people, the fear is more basic — having nothing to eat.

Experts from Africa, Europe and the United States gathering in Dublin for a conference on combating world hunger said Wednesday the two are connected — the drift toward recession in the world’s wealthiest countries is increasing malnutrition in the world’s poorest ones.
The conference begins today, United Nations’ World Food Day.
Development experts say a global community able to commit hundreds of billions to bolstering banks should be willing to commit a fraction of that to fighting hunger. An estimated 970 million people will go hungry in the coming year, up from about 920 million last year.

Sheila Shinsulu, deputy director of the U.N.’s World's Food Program, said world leaders should view the battle against malnutrition as linked to the struggle to keep the world’s financial system afloat. Both, she said, promote peace and stability.
Sisulu asked donor governments to continue spending on overseas aid.