The World Food Programme (WFP) Officer-in-Charge in The Gambia, Madam Shioko Momose, has disclosed that over 850 million people across the world are hungry.

Madam Momose made this staggering revelation at the July 22 Square in Banjul on Sunday as part of her address on the occasion of “Walk the World to fight hunger.”

According to her, the event is being marked in The Gambia for the third time. She intimated that people in 400 locations in 110 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas were currently on the walk, adding that those in The Gambia are part of the same global event.

The event, she explained, is in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme WFP and TNT, global express logistic and mail company. The purpose, she said, is to raise funds and awareness on the issue of hunger. ”WFP feeds 78.8 million people in 78 countries and in The Gambia WFP feeds 120,000 children and 5500 refugees,” she said.

According to her, The Gambia’s school feeding project made her one of the countries that benefited from funds raised in last year’s Walk the World all over the world.

Deputising for the Secretary of State for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Babucarr Boye, Permanent Secretary for the department, expressed gratitude to all those who contributed to the success of this year’s event. Noting that the provision of school lunch contributes a lot to make  learning more attractive for children, he thanked WFP for providing feeding to the Gambian children. He appealed to people to generously contribute to the programme.

The walk, led by the police band, started from the 22nd July square through Albert market via Hill Street, Lasso Wharf and Lancaster streets and came full circle at the July 22nd square.

The event was attended by the United States Ambassador to The Gambia, Joseph D Stafford, voluntary organizations and cultural groups.