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Walk to raise funds for world's hungry

Dubbed as 'Walk the World', the event will be held in Dubai at the Dubai Creek Park.

The unique event is aimed at raising enough funds for the United Nations World Food Programme to help feed some 30,000 children for one school year, as well as increase awareness of global hunger. Known as the world's largest humanitarian organisation, the WFP is dedicated to eradicating hunger around the globe.

"Walk the World provides us with an excellent opportunity to put hunger on the international agenda, as well as with financial support for our school feeding programmes which seek to get hungry children into school," James T Morris, Executive Director of the WFP, was quoted as saying.

Each walk will start at 10am local time, with the event kicking off in Auckland, New Zealand, where the world's day begins and ends. With the day progressing, employees of TNT, its parent company TPG and the WFP will be walking in 64 countries, through 24 time zones in as many hours. Money raised by pledges secured will support WFP's global school feeding campaign which aims to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn basic reading, writing and arithmetic.

According to WFP statistics, there are 300 million hungry children around the globe, one hundred million of whom do not attend school. At an average cost of 19 cents a day, WFP's school feeding programmes are reaching some 16 million children each year, nourishing their minds and bodies and encouraging them to attend school.

"The Walk the World initiative is yet another way we are pulling together to highlight world hunger and support the WFP. Our employees have come to embrace this partnership," Mark Pell, TNT's Managing Director Gulf and Saudi Arabia, said.

• UAE