The Chinese version of a video game called Food Force, designed to teach children about world hunger and the importance of humanitarian aid work, will be launched on Thursday.

Food Force, an educational computer game created by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), is targeted at children aged eight to 13.

Players take on missions to distribute food in a famine-affected country and help it recover its self-sufficiency. At the same time they learn about hunger in the real world and the UNWFP's work to prevent it.

The Chinese version is downloadable at the game's official Chinese website http://food-force.sdo.com. The website also provides facts and figures about hunger in China.

The Chinese version will be the game's seventh language which has been downloaded more than 4.5 million times since its debut in mid-2005.

"Food Force is clear evidence that with the right medium, an issue as invisible and distant as hunger in the developing world can trigger interest and support in countries where too much food is the high profile problem today," Neil Gallagher, WFP's director of communications, was quoted as saying by Beijing Youth Daily.

All Food Force language versions were made through donations from game industry leaders and international organizations. Shanda Interactive, a leading entertainment media company in China, produced the Chinese version. Six well-known Chinese pop singers provided the dubbing for the game characters.

(Xinhua News Agency October 25, 2006)