A United Nations food agency says it has started distributing seeds and tools to thousands of farmers in Haiti.

The impoverished Caribbean nation has been one of the hardest hit countries in the global food crisis. Soaring food prices led to deadly riots in April.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says one in five Haitian children is chronically undernourished.

70,000 families

The Rome-based agency says it is giving some 600 tons in bean, maize and sorghum seeds as well as hoes and machetes to 70,000 families.

It says the US$4 million donation will help with the current planting season.

FAO said Monday it would need an extra US$64 million to help around 500,000 needy families for the next three planting seasons.