PORTLAND, Ore. -- The global relief and development organization Mercy Corps has established a Global Food Crisis Fund to combat the problems rising food prices are causing the world's poor.

Portland-based Mercy Corps noted that the food price increase is making poverty and hunger worse in countries like Niger, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Penelope Anderson is Mercy Corps' director of food security. She says wheat, rice and corn have shot up significantly.

She says the poor - who spend much of their income on food -- are hit hardest. She says for many, this will mean cutting down from two meals to one.

Reports from Mercy Corps staff around the world confirm that the situation is dire - and has the potential to grow much worse. The agency has seen the impact in several countries.

The Global Food Crisis Fund will raise and distribute funds to countries where Mercy Corps works and people have been most severely impacted by rising food prices. ---

HOW TO HELP: Mercy Corps Global Food Crisis Fund Dept. NR PO Box 2669 Portland OR 97208 www.mercycorps.org 1-800-852-2100