Updated: October 9, 2020 3:23:04 pm
The efforts of the World Food Program focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development assistance and special operations. (Twitter / Nobel Prize)
The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday was awarded to the World Food Program (WFP) for its efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity around the world. The announcement was made in Oslo by Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairman of the Nobel Committee.
“With this year’s award, the (Committee) wishes to turn the eyes of the world to the millions of people who suffer or face the threat of hunger,” Andersen said, according to the Associated Press.
BREAKING NEWS:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize to the World Food Program (WFP).#Nobel Prize #Nobel Peace Prize pic.twitter.com/fjnKfXjE3E– The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 9, 2020
“The World Food Program plays a key role in multilateral cooperation to make food security an instrument of peace. He contributes daily to the advancement of the fraternity of nations mentioned in Alfred Nobel’s will, ”he said.
In response to the announcement, a UN WFP spokesman said it was a “proud moment” and “nothing short of a feat”.
The World Food Program is the food assistance arm of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization dealing with hunger and promoting food security. According to its website, WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development assistance and special operations.
Along with enormous prestige, the award comes with a cash prize of 10 million crowns ($ 1.1 million) and a gold medal to be presented at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway on December 10, the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Alfred Nobel Prize.
This year there were 318 nominees, 211 individuals, and 107 organizations nominated for the coveted award. While the Norwegian Nobel Committee is keeping top secret about who it favors for possibly the world’s most prestigious award, that has never stopped speculation ahead of the announcement.
In this Nov. 6, 2017, file photo, the UN World Food Program logo at the agency’s headquarters in New York. (AP)
Among those speculated that they would be nominated were US President Donald Trump, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny and the World Health Organization.
The deadline for this year’s nominations was February 1, which means those on the front lines of the fight against Covid-19, which was only declared a pandemic in March, are unlikely to be contenders.
On Monday, the Nobel Committee awarded the physiology and medicine prize for discovering the hepatitis C virus, which devastates the liver. Tuesday’s physics award honored advances in understanding the mysteries of cosmic black holes, and Wednesday’s chemistry award went to the scientists behind a powerful gene-editing tool.
The literature prize was awarded to American poet Louise Gluck on Thursday for her “sincere and uncompromising” work. The award for outstanding work in economics has yet to be announced.
(Contributions from agencies)
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