On Friday, the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize 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 was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.
“The World Food Program plays a key role in multilateral cooperation to make food security an instrument of peace. He contributes daily to promote the brotherhood of nations mentioned in Alfred Nobel’s will, ”
he declared.
- In reaction to the announcement, a UN WFP spokesman said it was a “proud moment” and “nothing short of an achievement”.
“The World Food Program plays a key role in multilateral cooperation to make food security an instrument of peace. He contributes daily to promote the brotherhood of nations mentioned in Alfred Nobel’s will, ”
he declared.
- In response to the announcement, a UN WFP spokesperson said it was a “proud moment” and “nothing short of an achievement.”
- The World Food Program is the food aid arm of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger and promoting food security.
- According to its website, WFP’s efforts are focused on emergency assistance, relief and recovery, 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, December 10, anniversary of the death of the founder of the Nobel Prize Alfred.
- This year, 318 applicants, 211 individuals and 107 organizations were nominated for the coveted award.
- While the Norwegian Nobel Committee keeps the biggest secret about who they prefer for perhaps the world’s most prestigious award, the speculation never stopped before the announcement.
- US President Donald Trump, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny and the World Health Organization are among the presumed nominated candidates.
- The deadline for this year’s nominations was February 1, meaning that those on the front lines of the fight against Covid-19, which was declared a pandemic in March, are unlikely to be contenders.
Who else won the Nobel Prize this year?
- Earlier Monday, the Nobel Committee awarded the Physiology and Medicine Prize to two Americans and a British scientist for their contribution to the identification of the hepatitis C virus, which causes cirrhosis and liver cancer.
- On Tuesday, the physics award recognized progress in understanding the mysteries of cosmic black holes by three scientists: a British, German and American astrophysicist.
- The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded Wednesday to two scientists behind a powerful gene-editing tool. They become the sixth and seventh women to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry, joining those of Marie Curie (1911) and Frances Arnold (2018).
- On Thursday, the literature prize was awarded to an American poet for her “sincere and uncompromising” work.
- The award for outstanding work in economics has yet to be announced.
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