Hunger

"Oct 16 (Reuters) - Tuesday marks World Food Day, with aid workers warning that war, weather, disease and deepening poverty leave more people hungry and in need of food aid each year just as rising prices make feeding them more expensive.

Below are some global statistics on food shortages and aid and a summary of some of the world's current food crises.

-- 854 million people worldwide do not have enough to eat, more than the combined populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union.

-- In the 1990s, global poverty dropped by 20 percent, as the number of hungry people increased by 18 million.

-- Every five seconds a child dies because of hunger.

-- One in four children in developing countries is underweight."

A useful "facts box" follows