Awutu Odumase (C/R), Dec 31, GNA - The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Intervention Forum (IF), a non profit making organisation, Ms Nora Ollenu, has stated that extreme poverty remains a daily reality for more than one billion people world-wide who lived on less than one dollar a day.

She said hunger and malnutrition were almost equally pervasive, adding that, more than 800 million people had too little food to meet their daily energy needs.

These were contained in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Report for 2005.

Ms Ollenu was speaking when the IF organised a Christmas and end of year party for more than 200 orphans and needy children from Awutu Odumase, Obrachire and Akronpong at Odumase in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District.

She noted that for young children, lack of food could be parlous since it retarded their physical and mental development and threatened their survival, adding that, more than a quarter of children under five years old in developing countries were malnourished, which proved that poverty was endemic in Africa especially in rural areas. The CEO said the most affected group were children some of whom were orphans who did not access to adequate health, education, clothing and shelter.

She stressed that despite efforts by the international bodies and organisations like the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), corporate bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOS) to provide relief there were still poor and needy children living in abject poverty.

Ms Ollenu called on well-to-do individuals to support and care for the needy and orphans who through no fault of theirs had lost their parents to enjoy Christmas.

She said her organisation had formed an Abstinence Club to educate the youth in communities about the dangers of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, adding that, IF would extend its activities to Amasaman, Abokobi, Kwabenya, and Abogba in the Ga West District of the Greater Accra Region.

The CEO noted that IF was caring and supporting 13 people Living With HIV/AIDS at Maamobi and Nima in Accra and expressed appreciation to the Ghana AIDS Commission, Action-Aid Ghana, the Chiefs of Awutu-Bawjiase, Obrachire, Akropong and Odumase for their support since IF started operating in their areas. .