Kuwait participates for the first time in a global walk to end child hunger

On Sunday, May 21, 2006, more than 750,000 people including for the first time in Kuwait: WFP and TNT staff, Kuwait Red Crescent Society, UNDP, Masharee Al-Khair, Marina Mall, Dar Al-Seyassah, humanitarian partners, leading international companies, local residents of Kuwait, families and friends are expected to join in the battle against child hunger and walk in over 100 countries across 24 time zones.

Walk the World 2006 is well and truly on its way! To date over 200 events around the world have been registered in some 100 countries. From New Zealand to Nicaragua, Lebanon to Lesotho, citizens all over the globe will be 'Walking the World' on 21 May to call for the end of child hunger.

Each and every one of us can make a difference. By taking part in a walk, you will be helping to raise awareness about the 330 million hungry children.

The more people walk, the more governments and policy-makers around the world will realise that we must take action to ease the suffering of hungry children.

Last year over 200,000 people took part in a round-the-clock, round-the-world event in 266 locations in 91 countries - raising awareness about child hunger across the globe and sufficient funds to feed more than 70,000 hungry children for a year. This year Fight Hunger Walk the World as global advocacy and fund raising event aims to raise over US$5 million for the WFP's global school feeding programme, moving one step closer to permanently eradicating child hunger.

Beginning at 10am in Auckland, New Zealand WFP and TNT, with the help of a wide variety of private and public partners and celebrities, are walking the world; from Sydney to Santiago, from Moscow to Los Angeles - in order to put the spotlight on hunger, which kills a child every 5 seconds.

Across the Middle East the walks have already been planned in Kuwait, Dubai, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, OPT, Iran, Bahrain, Libya & Yemen.

In Kuwait, the walk will be open to the public at the cost of 3 KD (including T-shirt & Cap) and shall take place from the Scientific Research Centre to the Marina Mall at 6:00pm.

Volunteers are being requested to help these walks and to set up more throughout the region.

WFP is encouraging those wishing to step in and Fight Hunger: Walk the World either by joining a walk, pledging money to a participant, or donating money through the website.

WFP's global school feeding project which last year provided one meal a day to 16.6 million primary school children in 72 countries, aims to reach 50 million in 2007. All too often children - particularly girls - are deprived of education because their families cannot afford to send their children to school. Yet educating girls is one of the best ways of escaping the cycle of poverty and hunger.