The Rome-based organization, World Food Programme, WFP, has won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts in combating hunger, improving conditions for peace in conflict zones and for preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
WFP says it supplies aids to about 97 million people in about 88 countries each year, and still one in nine people in the world still do not have enough to eat.
“I think this is the first time in my life I’ve been without words. I was just so shocked and surprised,” said David Beasley, the head of the WFP.
The winner of the prestigious Prize was announced Friday in Oslo, Norway. WFP was among the 211 individuals and 107 organizations, totaling 318 nominees for the award.
Among the serious contenders for the Peace Prize were the teenage climate change campaigner, Greta Thunberg; New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern; the World Health Organisation and Saudi activist, Loujain al Hathloul.
According to Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairman of the Nobel Committee, this year’s Prize wanted to “to turn the eyes of the world to the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger.
“The World Food Programme,” said Berit, “plays a key role in multilateral cooperation in making food security an instrument of peace. It contributes daily to advancing the fraternity of nations mentioned in Alfred Nobel’s will.”
Besides other benefits, the prize carries a 10-million-krona (£848,000) cash award and a gold medal. The cash prize and the gold medal will be presented to the winner at a ceremony in the Norwegian capital on 10 December, being the anniversary of the Prize founder, Alfred Nobel’s death.
