World Food Programme wins Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to combat hunger
10 October, 2020
The World Food Programme won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace incompatible areas, the Nobel committee said.
"With this year's award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to carefully turn the eyes of the world towards the millions of men and women who have problems with or face the risk of hunger," Nobel committee chairwoman Berit Reiss-Andersen said on unveiling the winner in Oslo.
The WFP was honoured for "its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to avoid the utilization of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict," the jury said
Whether delivering food by helicopter or on the back of an elephant or a camel, the WFP prides itself on being "the leading humanitarian organisation" in a global where, by its own estimates, some 690 million people -- one in 11 -- go to sleep on an empty stomach.
Founded in 1961, the UN organisation helped 97 million people this past year, distributing 15 billion rations to people in 88 countries last year.
The statistics are dizzying but only a fraction of the total number in need.
Despite making progress over the past three decades, the UN's goal to eradicate hunger by 2030 appears out of reach if current trends continue, according to experts.
Women and children usually are those most at risk.
The Nobel prize -- which contains a gold medal, a diploma and a cheque for 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.1 million, 950,000 euros) -- will be presented to the winner on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of Swedish industrialist and philanthropist Alfred Nobel, who created the awards in his will.
According to the coronavirus restrictions set up at the time, it'll either be awarded in-person at a scaled-back ceremony in Oslo, or remotely in an online ceremony.
Source: www.asianage.com
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