Cost of food forces World Vision to cut aid

World Vision is cutting back on the vital flow of aid it provides to some of the world's most impoverished -- saying it can no longer afford to feed 1.5 million of the 7.5 million people that received aid last year. <World Vision cites rising food costs driven by high fuel prices, unpredictable weather and demand from China and India, as well as the failure of countries to meet their donation commitments as the driving factors for the decision."Despite our best efforts, 1.5 million of our beneficiaries are no longer receiving food aid," said Dave Toycen, president of World Vision Canada.Of the 1.5 million, 572,000 are children "who urgently need enough food to thrive," Toycen said in a news release.And the problem isn't expected to be short-lived. Toycen said he expects it will take two years for prices to stabilize and for World Vision to overcome the crisis.The most profound result of the cutback, he said, is that hundreds of thousands of children under five, who rely on World Vision food to ensure their development, will not get the nutrition they need.That can result in impaired brain development and stunted physical growth, which could have a devastating impact on economically challenged nations that desperately need a strong, healthy and educated future workforce, he said."The international community must ensure that preventing child hunger and malnutrition is the top priority in the search for a solution to the current food pricing crisis," Toycen said.World Vision is calling on countries and private donors to step up and fund the $500 million shortfall. The organization is also asking countries that have pledged support, to make good on their promises.