By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - One in six people across the globe suffer from hunger, an epidemic that affects 850 million people worldwide.

This and other themes were addressed on Tuesday at a regional forum to promote national alliances against hunger in the Near East, chaired by HRH Princess Basma, president of the Higher Committee of the Jordanian National Alliance for Combating Hunger and Enhancing Food Security.

Focusing on the success of the national alliance, an umbrella organisation that brings NGOs, governmental, and international organisations together to tackle hunger in the Kingdom, conference organisers called for similar approaches to be taken across the region.

“It is unacceptable in this age to let a person or child go hungry,” Princess Basma told the audience.

She stressed that efforts to combat hunger will not succeed without continued management of resources and cooperation on governmental and nongovernmental levels.

The Princess added that although Jordan does not suffer like other countries in the region, it can play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges facing its neighbours.

Noting that the conference was unique in being the first regional gathering to tackle this issue, the Princess said the forum provides a good opportunity to address national and regional challenges, share experiences and build institutional ties.

“Let us be honest - the problem is more severe now than it was in 1996,” Princess Basma said, referring to the landmark 1996 World Food Summit that brought the global commitment to end hunger to the forefront.

“We must face the stark reality that we are no closer to meeting the Millennium Development Goals, which is unacceptable. We must be honest with how much greater our work needs to be,” she said, citing one of the MDGs to cut poverty in half by 2015.

The Princess remarked that people should not be obsessing over diets and weight loss when so many marginalised communities are suffering from poverty and hunger.

“We must all look hunger in the eye and say, ‘we’re not going to allow it, we’re not going to allow children, infants, people to suffer from something as basic as hunger in a world with so many riches’,” the Princess said.

Minister of Agriculture Muzahim Muhaisen stressed that access to food is a basic and essential right that is enshrined in both religion and secular laws.

In his view, the key to combating hunger in the Kingdom is supporting small farmers and sheep herders, and addressing food prices in light of inflation.

He highlighted the creation of the alliance against hunger, and the cooperation between the ministry and the FAO. This cooperation is key, he said, adding that hunger is not just a state concern, but a global one that requires global efforts.

Commending the alliance, former International Alliance Against Hunger Secretary General Eva Clayton told The Jordan Times that she takes “personal pride and satisfaction in seeing the Jordanian association not only doing good work but spreading the combating hunger gospel in the region”.

According to Clayton, the US alliance against hunger and the Jordanian alliance are forming a twinning partnership to develop strategies to address hunger in the Kingdom.

Another aspect of the twinning will be the creation of a food bank, where surplus food would be given to those in need. The success of food banks in America and elsewhere will serve as a model for the Jordanian counterpart.

Meanwhile, FAO representative Ahmed El-Miniawy said the national alliance has assisted the FAO by addressing food security issues through training farmers to decrease the use of pesticides, forming an agricultural information system and creating an early warning system to battle drought.

He added that since Jordan has the only alliance in the region, the conference will provide Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon the chance to learn from their experience.

“We’re very proud of the Jordanian experience, and we look to expand it to the rest of the region,” El-Miniawy told The Jordan Times.

The national alliance was established in June 2004 to implement food security programmes and to ensure sustainability of national efforts.

The first alliance of its kind in the region, it works with NGOs, the governmental and international organisations to address hunger in the Kingdom.

The forum, which ends today, is focusing on food security issues, comparison of other national alliances, food banking, and potential joint action plans.