World's first educational game about hunger to be unveiled in Dubai

Dubai: Food Force, world's first action-packed educational game about hunger and the importance of humanitarian work, is to be unveiled in Dubai on Tuesday.

Food Force was created by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the UN's frontline agency in the fight against hunger, to raise awareness amongst students about the problem of global hunger.

Players join a virtual team of WFP experts to get food to the needy in an emergency situation, in an exciting and educational race against time.

The game, which is in Arabic has already clocked around 6 million players worldwide, is available as a free internet download at www.food-force.com/ar, along with information about WFP and its work.

Under the patronage of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the game will be presented at the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD).

Princess Haya is a UN Messenger for Peace, a former Goodwill Ambassador for WFP and a long-standing supporter of WFP's work.

"Food Force is a wonderful way of engaging today's youth in the humanitarian industry," Princess Haya said. "Because hunger is a terribly serious issue. Food Force is a means of sensitizing today's youth – tomorrow's leaders – about the enormity of the issue of global hunger, which affects over 400 million children in the world today.''

Food Force will be showcased at the Youth Forum of DIHAD till April 10.

John Powell, WFP's Deputy Executive Director, said: "Dubai is an essential logistics hub for the entire humanitarian community, and especially for WFP as one of the leaders in this field. DIHAD is the perfect context to present the game in the region. In Food Force, children can try their own hand at running a logistics operation to feed the hungry and save lives."