UN fight against hunger on earth receives space-age help in raising awareness

The United Nations battle against hunger on Earth will receive reinforcements from space today when Intelsat, the world’s leading satellite services provider, will use its global network to distribute two concerts in a campaign to help reduce the number of hungry people on the planet.

This is the ninth consecutive year that Intelsat is distributing UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)TeleFood concerts, awareness-raising events that have mobilized resources for hundreds of community-based, hunger-fighting projects. To date, TeleFood has generated close to $21 million in donations and funded 2,400 projects in 132 countries.

“Intelsat’s generosity and years of support have helped FAO to maximize the impact of the TeleFood message, by enabling global awareness of these events,” FAO Assistant Director-General for knowledge and communications Lorraine Williams said. “TeleFood has made it possible for FAO to share information in the more than 100 countries around the world which have benefited from roughly 2,400 hunger-fighting projects."

“Millions of people have, as a result of the reach of satellite technology, participated in the drive to eradicate hunger by donating generously to support TeleFood projects.”

The two concerts, “Musica vs. Hambre” in Asunción, Paraguay and the “TeleFood Cuba” concert in Havana, Cuba, held respectively on 21 September and 11 November 2006, gathered an impressive line-up of world class performers in support of the TeleFood Campaign.

Entertainment stars and other celebrities included Ronan Keating, Paul Young, Noa (Paraguay), the late Compay Segundo, Chucho Valdés and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Cuba).

TeleFood is FAO’s annual campaign of broadcasts, concerts and other events around the world aimed at reaching out and raising awareness about hunger.

“Intelsat is pleased to support the UN in this and the UN’s other communications requirements around the world,” Intelsat Vice President for Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Dianne VanBeber said, noting that with 52 satellites serving over 200 countries and territories the company is ideally suited to distribute global programming such as the FAO TeleFood concerts.