IF campaign hails ‘major breakthrough’ in fight against malnutrition

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hyde Park for Saturday's Big IF London rally.

The crowds – including supporters of World Vision UK - were there to make a massive noise in demanding that G8 leaders take action to tackle global hunger and save the lives of millions. Speakers on stage included Myleene Klass, Bill Gates and Danny Boyle.

It followed a ‘Nutrition for Growth’ summit held a few miles away in the Capital, hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron. The summit resulted in a multi-billion dollar pledge to fight malnutrition over the next eight years.

As the summit took place, 3,500 people attend an IF Ecumenical Church at Westminster Central Hall.

David Bull, Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign spokesperson, said: “The Prime Minister has today put the scandal of under-nutrition firmly on the map. This is a turning point in tackling what is the biggest killer of children worldwide.

“If today’s promises are delivered they could save the lives of almost two million children – an historic breakthrough in the fight against hunger. We now need to ensure that donors stump up the cash as quickly as possible, hungry children can’t wait.

“Today is an impressive start to the G8 period and the commitments made today will change millions of lives. It shows what can happen with clear leadership.

“David Cameron and his fellow leaders must now focus on getting an historic breakthrough on tax dodging and land grabs at the G8 which deny poor countries the resources they need to feed their own people.

“A G8 deal on tax and land which helps poor countries is badly off track. The Prime Minister must urgently intervene in the next week to turn this around.”

Malnutrition is the leading cause of child death. A new study released by the Lancet showed almost half of global child deaths are attributable to it. Despite this it has been a neglected topic with less than 0.4% of global aid being spent addressing it.