News on Food Bbc

2010-08-29 Shah describes militant threat in Pakistan - Laura Rozen

The fact that suspicious individuals had been in this site and ndash; in part because they knew I was coming, and the day before, our security folks who had gone out there, of course, hadn and rsquo;t seen any signs of them and ndash; is an indication these are open sites. People can get there. The whole point is to have people who are in urgent need come and get food. So it and rsquo;s just and ndash; it and rsquo;s deeply saddening that others would choose to use these environments to propagate themselves or to threaten international aid workers. .

www.politico.com

Laura Rozens blog reports on the world of foreign policy from Foggy Bottom to the White House, the Hill to Embassy Row. - Foreign policy national security state department White House diplomacy Laura Rozen Washington

2010-08-28 BBC News - Wheat genome may help tackle food shortages

Wheat genome boost to food supply

Such varieties are crucial to meet increased demand from growing and more prosperous populations, confront the challenges of climate change and looming scarcities of land, water, and fertiliser, and avoid global food shortages and price spikes that particularly harm the poor," he told BBC News.

We are now working to analyse the sequence to highlight natural genetic variation between wheat types, which will help significantly speed up current breeding programmes (and help tackle) the problem of global food shortage. "

www.bbc.co.uk

The draft sequences of the wheat genome released by UK scientists may prove to be a vital contribution to the efforts of securing global food supply.

2010-08-27 BBC News - Pakistanis flee new monsoon floods in south

New flood fears in south Pakistan

The World Food Programme says it already has enough food in Pakistan to feed six million people for a month but distribution has been hampered by a lack of resources and the countrys shattered infrastructure.

The town of Qubo Saeed Khan, near Shahdadkot in the north of the province, has been completely inundated, reports the BBCs Chris Morris from the area. He says tens of thousands of people have already been evacuated from the town.

We are very vigilant, we are watching and we are strengthening wherever we see any weakness on these protection walls," Manzoor Ali Sheikh, a senior local official in Thatta told the BBC.

www.bbc.co.uk

Thousands of Pakistanis flee their homes in southern coastal areas as flood-water sweeps down from the north.

2010-08-26 BBC News - Pakistan flood survivors refused aid at relief camps

Pakistan aid camps overwhelmed

As floodwater in Pakistan displaces tens of thousands of people from their homes every day, some are turning up at camps without the documentation necessary to receive aid, adding to the humanitarian crisis. The BBCs Jill McGivering reports from a camp in Sukkur, Sindh province.

We dont have breakfast in the morning or food at night. I dont know why they wont issue me with papers so I can get food. "

People just see theres a distribution of food and they come rushing. "

www.bbc.co.uk

People who fled houses without all their documentation are being refused aid in relief camps, the BBCs Jill McGivering reports.

2010-08-25 BBC News - Aid agency warns of double disaster for Niger

Double disaster Niger warning

Niger has been hit by a double disaster as recent floods compound an existing food crisis, a UK aid agency warned.

The World Food Programme recently acknowledged that it was forced to limit its food distribution to only 40 pct. of those in need because of a funding shortfall.

Oxfam says the situation is stretching resources to the limit as it also tries to respond to the food shortages.

www.bbc.co.uk

Niger is being hit by a "second emergency" as recent floods compound an existing food crisis, UK aid agency Oxfam warns.

2010-08-24 BBC News - South Pakistan villagers flee threatened areas

Thousands flee S Pakistan floods

Millions of livestock are also at risk, according to the UNs Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which said that at least 200,000 animals had died already as a result of the disaster.

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In Shahdadkot, the BBCs Jill McGivering says residents are leaving en masse to try to reach safe ground.

www.bbc.co.uk

Tens of thousands of people in southern Pakistan are fleeing a threatened flood-surge, three weeks after heavy monsoon rains first hit the country.

2010-08-23 UN sends SOS for more helicopters to save millions of flood victims in Pak

UNs World Food Programme (WFP) spokeswoman, Emilia Casella, said the agency only has 10 helicopters at its disposal and expected to get another five in the next few days, but added that it was not enough to rescue and provide relief to over six million people affected by the worst floods in the last 80 years being witnessed by Pakistan.

If you do the math, we are trying to reach six million people and today weve reached 1. 2 million. You need to have helicopters in rotation numerous times a day to communities to get the capacity up. We need the helicopters now. but the helicopters have to be funded," BBC quoted Casella, as saying.

sify.com

The United Nations (UN) has said that it needs more helicopters to continue the relief and rescue work in flood-hit Pakistan, as it remains the only means to reach out to millions of affected. - London

2010-08-22 BBC News - Who cares about Pakistan

Who cares about Pakistan

While acknowledging the floods exist, the problem is that there are simply too many people living in a flood plain. They chose to live there. The good times were good. This is a bad time. We should make provision in the good times (for the bad will always come - natures like that). If there were fewer people, there would be more food to go round, more space on higher ground, and the aid agencies would have an easier task. Its a basic problem. Haiti was similar.

www.bbc.co.uk

The BBC News website asked some experts to comment on possible reasons why donations have been initially sluggish to the Pakistan floods appeals.

2010-08-21 BBC News - UN calls for more aid for flood-hit Pakistan

UN calls for more Pakistan help

The BBCs Kim Ghattas at the UN says the resolution will not produce any concrete action plan but is a sign of how nervous the US and the UN are about the level of international assistance given to Pakistan so far.

There are growing concerns for those surviving without proper shelter, food or clean drinking water and fears there could be a second waves of death from water-borne disease.

The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.

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Pakistans flooding crisis is a "slow-motion tsunami", the UN secretary general tells an emergency fund-raising session in New York.

2010-08-20 U. K. Man Sits in Car 30 Hours to Protest Booted Wheels - World Watch - CBS News

People were bringing us food because I had to break my fast at sunset, and before sunrise I had to eat again. So the community and the Wembley mosque committee were bringing me food, milk with rose syrup and dates, and my wife brought some food from home. "

They tried charging me 365 for the initial clamp. I questioned why and they said because Ive been here more than two hours and in my heart of hearts I knew it was wrong," he told the BBC.

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Haroon Zafaryab Returned from Ramadan Prayers to Find Vehicle Clamped, So He Stuck Around to Prevent it From Getting Towed; Racked up More than usd. 5,000 in Fines Read more by Jimmy So on CBS News World Watch. - Ticket car clamp britain protest wembley boot ramadan Haroon Zafaryab