UN food agency and Benetton open photo exhibition on world hunger

Street children and war victims are among the ordinary people featured in a new photographic exhibition in New York on the work of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in feeding the hungry and the role of Italian clothing designer Benetton in supporting humanitarian causes.

The exhibition, which was unveiled yesterday in the UN Visitors Hall by former United States Senator George McGovern and the wife of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Mrs. Nane Annan, comprises photographs from a joint WFP/Benetton campaign this year to raise awareness of world hunger. Benetton spent $18 million on the advertising campaign.

"Not only has Benetton displayed their generosity by raising awareness of the issue of hunger, but they have also extended their kindness to include a $120,000 cash donation to help improve the lives of the hungry poor," said Judy Cheng-Hopkins, Director of the WFP New York office. "We applaud Benetton's commitment to the cause of ending hunger and note that the advertising campaign has already had a powerful impact in raising awareness of hunger and of the need for action."

The advertising campaign ran in most major European, Asian and North American publications. This, in turn, led to dozens of radio, television and newspaper reports focusing on hunger, how the media reports on it and the role of the private sector in promoting humanitarian goals.

"We chose to work with WFP because we share their commitment and their tangible initiatives," said Luciano Benetton.

"We are supporting them just as we have supported other humanitarian organizations in the past, with a campaign in which we believe absolutely because it encompasses a number of social issues - war, disease, marginalization - which we have already addressed in our previous communication projects."

Earlier this year, Benetton created the logo and images for the UN World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Campaign for Violence Prevention to sensitize people to that often-hidden problem.