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UN to Elon Musk: Here’s how we would spend your money to fight global hunger

UN to Elon Musk: Here's how we would spend your money to fight global hunger

Prompted by a challenge from Tesla founder Elon Musk, the United Nations has launched plan for how it would spend practically $7 billion to fight hunger world wide.

The proposal comes three weeks after David Beasley, government director of the UN’s World Meals Programme, or WFP, told CNN that roughly 2% of Musk’s $279 billion web price might assist finish hunger. He later laid out in a tweet {that a} $6.6 billion donation would “avert famine” subsequent yr.

After seeing the interview, Musk stated on Twitter that he would instantly promote shares of the electrical automotive firm, which is price greater than $1 trillion, if the UN might clarify how the money would “solve” hunger.

“If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6 billion will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it,” tweeted Musk, who Bloomberg ranks because the richest individual on this planet.

Beasley defended his feedback in a reply to Musk on Twitter and informed the entrepreneur that “with your help, we can bring hope, build stability and change the future.” 

“Let’s talk,” Beasley tweeted to Musk, a South Africa native. “It isn’t as complicated as Falcon Heavy, but too much is at stake to not at least have a conversation.”

About $3.5 billion of a roughly $6 billion donation would go towards shopping for meals for individuals largely in Africa and the Center East, together with Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo,  Sudan, South Sudan and Yemen, in accordance to the UN. The money would additionally fund the distribution of meals in these and different international locations by air, river or truck. 

All informed, the UN stated its proposed plan would feed 42 million ravenous individuals. The WFP proposal additionally requires: 

The proposal does not break down how a lot money, if any, would go towards combating hunger within the U.S.

The UN emphasised that $6 billion would not eradicate world hunger. However the money would present one meal a day to hundreds of thousands of individuals dealing with famine, in accordance to the group. 

Virtually 283 million individuals throughout 80 international locations face excessive hunger, WFP stated, up from 135 million individuals in 58 international locations in 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Africa stays the continent most impacted by hunger, accounting for 63% of the individuals experiencing meals insecurity at a “crisis” stage or worse, in accordance to a 2020 WFP report. But though the pandemic has fueled global hunger, the three major causes are conflict, excessive climate occasions and financial shocks.

Famine on the rise

Beasley tweeted Monday that the variety of individuals dealing with famine world wide continues to rise and that the UN proposal is accepting of anybody keen to assist fund it. 

“This hunger crisis is urgent, unprecedented and avoidable,” Beasley tweeted, telling Musk that “we’re ready to talk with you — and anyone else — who is serious about saving lives. The ask is $6.6 billion to avert famine in 2022.”

Musk up to now hasn’t responded to the UN’s proposal. Nonetheless, he not too long ago has bought a major variety of his Tesla shares. Musk bought about 4.5 million shares final week, cashing in about $5 billion. A day later he bought one other 640,000 shares for about $687 million. 

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