London - Britain Tuesday announced an aid package totalling 455 million pounds (910 million dollars) to help tackle the crisis over rising global food prices.

The Department for International Development (DFID) said 30 million pounds were in support of recent appeals by the World Food Programme (WFP) for countries most at risk from the crisis.

The bulk of the total sum, 400 million pounds, was earmarked for agricultural research to assist poor countries to grow more food for themselves, while 25 million pounds would be spent on boosting the incomes of the poorest people in Ethiopia, one of the most affected countries.

The package was designed to address both short-term needs and long-term solutions, said Douglas Alexander, Britain's Development Secretary, who chaired an international meeting on the crisis in London Tuesday. (dpa)