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World Food Programme wins Nobel Peace Prize 2020 for its noble work in combating the hunger crisis!

By alagu, 09 October, 2020
Nobel Prize, Peace, United Nations

In what has become a perfect pick, the World Food Programme has been conferred with the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict. The award-giving body has bestowed the Peace Prize on the United Nations body on Friday, which is the fifth day of the Nobel Prize week. 

In the award citation, the Nobel Committee has said, "Until the day we have a medical vaccine, food is the best vaccine against chaos". Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairwoman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, "The need for International solidarity and multilateral co-operation is more conspicuous than ever". 

She further said that the World Food Programme (WFP) is a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which the UN agency says could double hunger worldwide, has made it even more relevant. The WFP is based in Rome, Italy and it has revealed that it has been helping around 97 million people in about 88 countries each year and that one in nine people worldwide still does not have enough to eat.

 

Being one of the largest global humanitarian organizations, WFP has been staunchly addressing and working to eliminate hunger by ensuring to protect and promote food security. By conferring the prestigious award, the Nobel Committee has appealed to the governments to ensure that the WFP and other aid organizations receiving the necessary and timely financial support and assistance to feed millions.

Andersen said that through this award bestowment, the Nobel Committee wishes to turn the eyes of the world to the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger. While making the announcement in Oslo, Norway, Andersen further stated that the WFP plays a pivotal role in multilateral cooperation in making food security an instrument of peace and the WFP contributes daily to advancing the fraternity of nations mentioned in Alfred Nobel's will. 

According to the estimate from the WFP, there will be 265 million starving people within a year and through honoring the organization with the peace prize for reaching out to millions across the globe, the Nobel Committee has sent a global call not to underfund the body. Chairman Andersen has said that the need for food and humanitarian help across the globe had got intensified when it has been fighting and living through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to Reuters, WFP has been running a logistics service that has been delivering medical cargoes to over 120 countries throughout the pandemic to help governments and health partners fighting COVID-19. The UN Agency has also provided passenger services to ferry humanitarian and health workers where there is a lack of commercial flights. 

Reacting after the agency was conferred with the Nobel Prize, WFP Executive Director David Beasley, who is currently in Niger, Africa, said, "This is the first time I have speechless. This is unbelievable and Wow, Wow, Wow...". Beasley further stated, "It's because of the WFP family and they are out there in the most difficult, complex places in the world, where there's war, conflict, climate extremes - it doesn't matter. They are out there and they deserve this award". 

 

Beasley, in his written statement, said, "Today is a reminder that food security, peace, and stability go together. Without peace, we cannot achieve our goal of zero hunger and while there is hunger, we will never have a peaceful world". WFP spokesperson said, "When everything went into shutdown mode, the food agency was there and when everyone was leaving, we were going into lockdowns". 

After being conferred with the Peace prize, the WFP was awarded 10  million Swedish Krona (USD 1.1 million) cash prize and a gold medal. Speaking about the award pick, Dan Smith, who is the director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, said the Nobel Committee had wanted to send a message of both hope and support for international co-operation. In 2015, the UN has rolled out the Sustainable Development Goals in which the global organization has adopted eradicating hunger as one of its goals. 

WFP has been on the frontline in achieving the goal and the food agency has provided assistance for around 100 million people in about 88 countries last year. However, in 2019, it was estimated that 135 million people had suffered from acute hunger which was the highest number in many years. One of the major reasons behind the crisis was due to war and conflicts. 

 

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