MP Fasts-for-a-Day to Raise Awareness

3.21.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 18th Oct 2006

Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington

Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington, yesterday joined other MPs in the fast-for-a-day campaign to recognise World Poverty Day and raise money for Oxfam.

The fast-for-a-day event aimed to raise awareness about the many people worldwide who live with hunger every day. The International Alliance Against Hunger estimates that 1 in 6 people worldwide go hungry, and UNICEF reports that 146 million children in developing nations are underweight and going without meals.

The participants in the event renounced all food from 7AM to 7PM yesterday. Tom Brake comments "It's incredibly hard to carry on and focus when your stomach is rumbling and grumbling all day - and it was only for half a day! Imagine how hard it would be to live with that for years."

Oxfam confirm it is not too late to participate - next week is Oxfam's National Curry/Eating Out Week, where eating at participating restaurants will raise money for Oxfam's projects in South Asia where almost 50% of children are underweight. Go to www.oxfam.org.uk and click on National Curry Week to find participating restaurants near you.'