Story at a glance
- The organization was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize Friday.
- It earned the distinction for its “efforts to combat hunger, for its contributions to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.”
- David Beasley, the WFP’s executive director, said his organization was deeply humbled to be awarded the prestigious prize.
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Friday was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its effort to combat hunger and food insecurity in conflict-affected areas around the globe.
The organization based in Rome is the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and food security and has provided assistance to nearly 100 million people in 88 countries facing hunger each year, according to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
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In awarding the prize, Nobel Committee Chair Berit Reiss-Andersen called the WFP a driving force in its efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and noted the impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on global food supplies.
The WFP estimates the number of people experiencing life-threatening levels of food insecurity could double this year to 265 million as the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to a surge in the number of victims of hunger worldwide.
“In the face of the pandemic, the World Food Program has demonstrated an impressive ability to intensify its efforts,” Reiss-Andersen said as she announced the prize. “The combination of violent conflict and the pandemic has led to a dramatic rise in the number of people living on the brink of starvation.”
David Beasley, the WFP’s executive director, said his organization was deeply humbled to be awarded the prestigious prize.
“Every one of the 690 million hungry people in the world today has the right to live peacefully and without hunger. Today, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has turned the global spotlight on them and on the devastating consequences of conflict,” Beasley said in a statement.
The prize is worth about $1.1 million and will be presented to the organization in Oslo on Dec. 10.
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