ROME AP A U.N. food agency said Tuesday that violence against aid workers is growing at an alarming rate and that it planned to train its staff on how to handle potentially dangerous situations. The Rome-based World Food Program said 45 of its staffers had been murdered or died from work-related accidents or illnesses in the past decade. Nine field workers were murdered in 1998 alone with the latest slaying Nov. 14 when a staffer on duty at a warehouse in Kuito Angola was shot to death. While previously only the staffers heading to the most dangerous areas underwent training WFP has now hired experts to teach all of its 4000 staff members emergency procedures including the use of satellite phones to relay distress calls and escape and evacuation methods. ``All our people need to know how to react to emergency situations'' said WFP spokesman Jeffrey Rowland. ``Some of the areas we did not consider dangerous have been transformed into high risk areas.'' Rowland said that the agency had started setting aside funds to cover security needs for each operation. He said the funds would be used for everything from de-mining to boosting the number of military personnel escorting convoys depending on the risks of each project. The agency has appealed to governments of host countries to help ensure the safety of its staff. ``Host countries must agree that safety and security is a nonnegotiable issue and that WFP will suspend operations in a country if its personnel is placed in extreme danger'' said Arnold Vercken head of the WFP's security task force. WFP also said it aimed to increase cooperation with other UN agencies to develop a worldwide U.N. security policy. vg/vls APW19981201.1156.txt.body.html APW19981201.1002.txt.body.html