OSLO, OCTOBER OCTOBER 9 – During a pandemic that has “contributed to a strong upsurge in the number of victims of hunger in the world,” the Rome-based World Food Programme is the 2020 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize “for its contribution 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”.
The prestigious prize is awarded every year by the Norwegian Nobel Committee who recognized that last year the Programme “provided assistance to close to 100 million people in 88 countries” becoming “a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.” Previous winners include former US Presidents Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter, Malala Yousafzai, Kofi Annan, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and the European Union.
The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to a strong upsurge in the number of victims of hunger in the world. In the face of the pandemic, WFP has demonstrated an impressive ability to intensify its efforts, explained the Committee. “The World Food Programme contributes daily to advancing the fraternity of nations referred to in Alfred Nobel’s will. “As the UN’s largest specialised agency, WFP is a modern version of the peace congresses that the Nobel Peace Prize is intended to promote”, said the motivation.
“WFP is deeply humbled to receive the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. This is in recognition of the work of WFP staff who put their lives on the line every day to bring food and assistance to more than 100 million hungry children, women and men across the world”, the WFP said accepting the award.
“The World Food Programme is the world’s first responder on the frontlines of food insecurity. In a world of plenty, it is unconscionable that hundreds of millions go to bed each night hungry. The women and men of the WFP brave danger and distance to deliver life-saving sustenance to those devastated by conflict, to people suffering because of disaster, to children and families uncertain about their next meal”, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said after the announcement.
Guterres congratulated David Beasley, WFP Executive Director, and the entire staff of the World Food Programme, for advancing the values of the United Nations every day and serving the cause of “we the peoples” as the Organization marks its 75th anniversary year.
Congratulations were sent also by the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio: “We are proud to host you in Rome and to work together for food security and ZeroHunger in the world, including the areas needing humanitarian assistance, a key priority for the Italian Cooperation”. The Deputy Minister Emanuela Del Re had a conversation on the subject with the Vice Secretary-General of the United Nations. Amina Mohammed. Both expressed great joy and satisfaction for the award of the Nobel Peace Prize 2020 to the World Food Programme (WFP). “In this award, there is also a little bit of Italy,” said the Deputy Minister, also recalling the humanitarian base in Brindisi used by the WFP for its operations. (@OnuItalia)
