The need is far greater in poorer regions of the world, where the pandemic has left much deeper marks. In an urgent appeal, the head of the World Food Program (WFP) therefore turned to the world's billionaires on Thursday to help fight hunger. "We need $ 4.9 billion to feed all 30 million people who will die without the help of the WFP for a year," said David Beasley before the UN Security Council in New York.
There are around 2,000 billionaires worldwide with a combined net worth of $ 8 trillion. Quite a few increased their wealth by billions during the corona pandemic. "I'm not against people making money," he said. "But humanity is facing the greatest crisis we have ever seen in our lives." It is time that those "who have the most step up and help those who have the least in this extraordinary time in world history," continued Beasley. "The world needs you now and it is time to do the right thing."