Match Day Against Hunger

SPL joins up to the European Match Day Against Hunger

The Scottish Premier League (SPL), Association of European Football Leagues (EPFL), European Commission's humanitarian aid department (ECHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have joined forces to organise the European Match Day Against Hunger.

This weekend (March 31 - April 01) over 300 professional football clubs in 20 leagues across 16 countries in Europe will dedicate their matches to the fight against hunger in the Sahel.

The aim of this year's campaign is to highlight the plight of the people in the Sahel region of Africa, where over 11 million people face acute hunger due to drought, poor harvests and rising food prices.

This is a special weekend on the football calendar, now a permanent fixture. This is the third Match Day Against Hunger. Each year of the campaign has built on the previous year's success. From Moscow to Lisbon to Vienna to Dunfermline, clubs and leagues from all over Europe are uniting against hunger.

Neil Doncaster, Chief Executive of the SPL, said: "Our clubs play an important role in helping the communities that surround them. However, given that our clubs have extensive fan base worldwide, the Match Day Against Hunger provides an excellent means through which we can raise awareness of the millions in the Sahel that are at risk from becoming victims of famine".

For further information on the campaign, click here: http://www.endinghunger.org/en/actagitate/match_day_against_hunger_2012.html