World Bank ‘ready to act’ on rising grain prices

The World Bank yesterday said it stood ready to help governments respond to a rise in grain prices that has again put the world’s poorest people at risk and could have detrimental impacts for years.

“We cannot allow short-term food price spikes to have damaging long-term consequences for the world’s most poor and vulnerable,” World Bank president Jim Yong Kim said.

“The World Bank and our partners are monitoring this situation closely so we can help governments put policies in place to help people better cope,” said Mr Kim, a public health expert facing his biggest challenge in two months on the job.