Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 has been awarded to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for its efforts to combat hunger during the coronavirus pandemic.
About 211 individuals and 107 organisations were nominated for the prize this year including Donald Trump, climate activist Gretha Thunberg and US President candidate, Joe Biden.
Trump was nominated for his efforts in bringing a peace deal between Israel and UAE, Israel and Palestine, Kosovo and Serbia and initiating a peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Read Also: US President, Donald Trump Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel committee chairwoman, Berit Reiss-Andersen while unveiling the winner in Oslo said;
The WFP was a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
Reiss-Andersen added;
With this year’s award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to turn the eyes of the world towards the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger.
The link between hunger and armed conflict is a vicious circle: war and conflict can cause food insecurity and hunger, just as hunger and food insecurity can cause latent conflicts to flare up and trigger the use of violence.
We will never achieve the goal of zero hunger unless we also put an end to war and armed conflict.
Founded in 1961, the UN body helped 97 million people last year, distributing 15 billion rations to people in 88 countries.
Whether delivering food by helicopter or on the back of an elephant or a camel, WFP prides itself on being “the leading humanitarian organisation” in a world where, by its own estimates, about 690 million people — one in 11 — go to bed on an empty stomach.
The Nobel Peace prize is worth 10m Swedish krona ($1.1m; £872,600).
WFP is now the 101st winner of the celebrated and highly respected prize, saying it was “deeply humbled“.
In a tweet on Friday, it said;
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.
WFP head, David Beasley told the Associated Press news agency it was “the first time in my life I’ve been without words“.
