The Norwegian Nobel Committee has declared the World Food Programme (WFP) as the winner of this year Nobel Peace Prize. WFP was awarded the prize for its “efforts to combat hunger” and its “contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas.”
Presenting the award in Oslo on Friday, the Nobel Committee also described the organization as “a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.”
Director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was tipped as a frontrunner for the award, praised the decision on Twitter. “Huge admiration and respect for the life-saving work you do for people in need everywhere,” he wrote.
Tunisian actress Hend Sabry, a WFP ambassador, said she was “proud” of her role and wrote that the organization “is mainly a web of wonderful people from all around the world, doing their best to fight hunger.”
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the most prestigious in the world and recognizes those who have contributed the most towards ending conflict, promoting peace and building relationships between nations. This year’s award carries particular significance in a period dominated by division, economic woes and a global pandemic.
