US President George Bush has called for £390 million in new US food aid donations in a bid to stave off a food crisis threatening the developing world.

Mr Bush promised the US would take the lead in fighting the hunger as skyrocketing world food prices cause unrest in poor countries from Haiti to Burkina Faso.

"With the new international funding, we're sending a clear message to the world that America will lead the fight against hunger for years to come," Mr Bush said.

Surging prices for wheat, rice and other staples, along with record-high fuel prices, have eaten into aid budgets in the US, the world's largest food aid donor.

"I think more needs to be done. And so today I'm asking Congress to provide an additional £390 million to support food aid and development programs," Mr Bush said.

Administration officials said the £390 million would include £200 million in emergency food aid, £114million for food vouchers, seeds, or aid purchases in the developing world, and £76 million for development work aimed at food security.

That will help "improve the ability of the developing world to feed itself," said Stephen McMillin, a top budget official.

If approved by Congress, the funds would become available from October, and would bring overall support for global food security to £1.34 billion for 2009.

The announcement comes several weeks after Mr Bush approved the release of 250,000 tonnes of wheat from an emergency crop trust, a step the US had not taken since 2005.

It reflects the mounting concern among world leaders about protests, strikes and riots that have erupted in the wake of dramatically higher prices, which affect the poor the most.

"The next few weeks are critical for addressing the food crisis. For two billion people, high food prices are now a matter of daily struggle, sacrifice, and even survival," World Bank President Robert Zoellick said.

Global food prices jumped an annual 43 per cent to March 2008, the White House said.

The trend is typically blamed on a confluence of factors, including rising food consumption in emerging economies like India and China and adverse weather.

The growing use of food crops to make biofuels like ethanol is also seen as a driver, although the administration argues the fuels only account for a small share of the price spike.

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