"The World Bank called Sunday for an end to "restrictions on food aid", including tariffs and barriers to exports. This appeal was made before the opening of the third international conference on the effectiveness of humanitarian aid to be held in Accra, the capital of Ghana, Tuesday through Thursday, gathering ministers from over 100 countries, leaders of bilateral or multilateral organizations, donors and non-governmental organizations." [Agence France Presse]

BBC adds that "...The Bank says stopping requirements to buy food aid from donors will go a long way to ensure that food gets to poor people hardest hit by rising prices.

The call was made by the World Bank managing director, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as international development agencies, donors and civil society groups head to Accra to discuss improving aid effectiveness....

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said with 100m people at risk of poverty from high food prices, the Bank also asked the international community to increase contributions to the World Food Programme [WFP], whose funding needs almost doubled to 6bn [US dollars] this year.

The Bank, she said, is calling for the immediate elimination of taxation or restrictions on humanitarian food aid and an end to export bans by key producers on shipments to the least developed countries and those in fragile situations." [BBC/Factiva]

"The Bank is also calling for ...an end to export bans by key producers on shipments to the least developed countries and those in fragile situations.

'These three steps: removing restrictions and conditions on food aid; increasing contributions to the World Food Programme; and lifting export bans and restrictions on the movement of humanitarian food will protect thousands of mothers and children at risk from malnutrition,' Okonjo-Iweala said. "In addition donors must support investment in an African Green Revolution so that millions will not suffer in the future." [Accra Daily Mail/Factiva]