The China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation is calling on people to go without food for 24 hours to experience hunger and assist starving children.

"Starving 24 hours" calls for all people from ages 18 to 60 to stop eating from noon on Friday until noon on Saturday, coinciding with the 35th World Food Day and China's second Poverty Alleviation Day.

Chen Hongtao, the foundation's deputy secretary-general, said the organization hopes that through the activity, more people can experience the feeling of hunger and at the same time donate their food expenditures for the day to children plagued by starvation.

"The public can participate in the activity via the WeChat account of the CFPA," Chen said.

Half of the donations will go to improving domestic children's nourishment in poverty-stricken areas and the other half will go to the Sudan's Smiling Children Project to help starving children in the African country, he said.

People with illnesses are advised not to participate, Chen added.

Companies, colleges and other institutions are also asked to encourage workers, students and other people to join the activity.

So far, more than 20 movie stars and celebrities have recorded short videos to promote the activity, and around 100 colleges nationwide are participating.

"We simply hope through the activity to let more people experience the feeling of hunger and call for the entire society to pay more attention to poverty alleviation," Chen said.

Omer Eisa, Sudan's ambassador to China, was present at the activity ceremony and expressed his gratitude.

"Half of the donated capital of the activity will go for helping children in Sudan. On behalf of Sudan, I would like to thank CFPA and all the people participating in the activity. And we hope more people will raise their awareness of poverty alleviation," Omer Eisa said.

Statistics from the CFPA show that more than 71 million people in China are plagued by hunger.

The figure worldwide is 795 million.

Children account for most victims of starvation, the organization said.

Last year, during the first "Starving 24 hours" activity, about 160 million people participated.