Ban Ki-moon, general secretary of the United Nations, said at a press conference in Vienna Friday that the rising food prices was a "global crisis" and immediate measures should be carried out by the international community.
He said that the global food prices had risen "for about 40 percent," which led about 100 million people into living crisis, especially those poor people in poor countries and regions.
He therefore pointed out that the international community should take "immediately actions" to concretely assist people who suffered food crisis and appealed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to research this problem.
Ban emphasized also that the UN would continue paying attention on the Kosovo issue and fulfill its duty there according to the No.1244 Resolution of the UN Security Council. "The situation there will be managed in a peaceful way," he added.
Ursula Plassnik, the Austrian foreign minister, also attended the press conference and said that Austria would provide 1 million euros assistance for four most severely-suffered countries, including Namibia, Haiti, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. Children, young mothers and weaklings are main target people.
Ban is on a three-day visit in Vienna from Friday to Sunday. During his stay in Vienna, he will meet officials of UN organizations and agencies. The Austrian Federal President Heinz Fischer would also be met by him.
Ban was ambassador of South Korea to Austria from 1998 to 2000.
Source: Xinhua
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