"This additional food aid will address the impact of rising commodity prices on U.S. emergency food aid programs, and be used to meet unanticipated food aid needs in Africa and elsewhere."

Asked about the possibility of other U.S. measures, Perino responded: "We are continuing to assess the need. This 200 million dollars will address the emergency, and if more is needed we will strongly consider it."

The World Bank on Sunday said a doubling of food prices over the past three years could push 100 million people in developing countries further into poverty.It urged developed nations to step up and tackle the issue.

Earlier, UN chief Ban Ki-moon appealed for emergency and long-term action to tackle the growing global food crisis, warning that it could trigger political upheavals and security risks.

"The rapidly escalating crisis of food availability around the world has reached emergency proportions," he told a joint meeting of key UN financial, economic and trade institutions at the United Nations in New York.

Food security has become a major concern in recent weeks as supplies of basic commodities have dwindled in the face of soaring demand, triggering riots and outbreaks of violence from Haiti to Indonesia.

"We need not only short-term emergency measures to meet urgent critical needs and avert starvation in many regions across the world, but also a significant increase in long-term productivity in food grain production," Ban told the meeting.

Noting that climate change also threatens long-term global economic growth and sustainable development, he said: "Developing countries need external assistance especially better technology and increased financing to rise to this challenge."(AFP)