UN sets up food crisis task force
The task force, to be chaired by Mr Ban, will be made up of the heads of UN agencies and the World Bank.
Pointing out that the world faced "widespread hunger, malnutrition and social unrest on an unprecedented scale" because of soaring food prices, Ban said the priority was to feed the hungry by closing a $755m (£380m) funding gap for the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) this year.
"Without full funding of these emergency requirements, we risk again the spectre of widespread hunger, malnutrition and social unrest on an unprecedented scale," he said.
He urged donor countries to make more money available now.
The WFP believes 100 million people are currently going short of food, it was learnt.
