OSLO (NORWAY) – The United Nations food agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its contribution to tackle hunger and improve conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict.
The organisation says it helps some 97 million people in about 88 countries each year. According to it, one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat.
Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairwoman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, told a news conference, “The need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is more conspicuous than ever.”
The Nobel committee said in its citation, “The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to a strong upsurge in the number of victims of hunger in the world.”
“Until the day we have a medical vaccine, food is the best vaccine against chaos …
“There is an estimate within the World Food Programme that… there will be 265 million starving people within a year, so of course this is also a call to the international community not to underfund the World Food Programme.”
The World Food Programme said this was “a proud moment … nothing short of a feat”.
The prize amounts to 10 million Swedish crowns, or around $1.1 million, and will be presented in Oslo on December 10.
