United Nations’ World Food Program wins 2020 Nobel Peace Prize

OSLO, Norway — The United Nations' World Food Program has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat global hunger and to improve conditions for peace in conflict areas.

Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chairwoman of the Norwegian Nobel committee, announced the prize Friday at the Nobel Institute in Oslo.

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Reiss-Andersen said the committee named the WFP the 2020 laureate because it wanted to “turn the eyes of the world to the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger,” which she called a “weapon of war and conflict,” The Guardian reported.

Deepest thanks @NobelPrize for honouring the World Food Programme with the 2020 #NobelPeacePrize.

This is a powerful reminder to the world that peace and #ZeroHunger go hand-in-hand. https://t.co/1CYXPcnvlF
— World Food Programme (@WFP) October 9, 2020

She also used the award as a call-to-action for the international community to adequately fund the UN agency.

“It’s a very important UN organization. The UN plays a key role in upholding human rights,” she said, calling food “one of our most basic needs.”

And while Reiss-Andersen acknowledged that the WFP was deserving of the honor prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the global health crisis only amplified the committee’s selection criteria, especially the need for “multilateralism” in a time of global crisis, The Guardian reported.

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, 2020 #NobelPrize laureate the World Food Programme @WFP has demonstrated an impressive ability to intensify its efforts.#NobelPeacePrize pic.twitter.com/DnMLqFO9P4
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 9, 2020

This year’s peace prize was the 101st to be awarded, with 318 candidates in the running for the 2020 prize, according to the Nobel Institute.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the prize in 2019 for his efforts to achieve peace with neighboring Eritrea, CNBC reported.

Other 2020 nominees included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 17, as well as the World Health Organization for its role in addressing the coronavirus pandemic and Russian dissident and opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is recovering from a nerve agent attack he blames on Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Guardian reported.

Click here or watch below to see the announcement.