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The European Commission plans to provide a further €117.25 million for food assistance as a response to the impact of the increase in food prices on the world's most vulnerable people.

Louis Michel, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said: "The rise in basic food prices is a worldwide humanitarian disaster in the making. Ongoing humanitarian food programmes are under enormous pressure with less food available for people already on the brink of starvation. Millions more, who were just about coping before, now risk going hungry. Addressing food price issue is a global challenge requiring long term solutions but the emergency is now. We have an obligation to act – and act quickly."

The latest humanitarian funding consists of €57.25 million taken from the existing food aid budget run by the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department, plus a requested €60 million in new money.

The Commission has responded on a rolling basis as this crisis has developed. In the face of increasing needs, it committed €160 million – more than 70% of the available food aid funds – in a decision adopted in February. It has also fast tracked the deployment of the rest of the budget with €6 million included in a special package for Bangladesh announced on 10 April, as well as the €57.25 million.

The announcement of €117.25 million will raise the total humanitarian food aid budget so far in 2008 to €283.25 million. In 2007, the Commission provided more than €150 million in humanitarian funds to the World Food Programme, equivalent to almost 70% of the Commission's overall food aid budget. Funds were also channelled through other UN partners, non-governmental organisations and Red Cross/Crescent agencies.