Nobel Peace Prize Awarded To World Food Programme

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A woman holds a voucher before receiving food aid, in Mudzi, Zimbabwe, in February. The United Nations’ World Food Programme says more than half of Zimbabwe’s 15 million people are in need of food assistance, making the southern African country among the world’s most food insecure countries. Friday, the WFP was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.

Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

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Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

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The 2020 Norwegian Nobel Committee, which names the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. From left: Thorbjørn Jagland, Henrik Syse (vice chair), Berit Reiss-Andersen (chair), Anne Enger, Olav Njølstad (secretary) and Asle Toje.

Heiko Junge/NTB scanpix

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Heiko Junge/NTB scanpix

The 2020 Norwegian Nobel Committee, which names the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. From left: Thorbjørn Jagland, Henrik Syse (vice chair), Berit Reiss-Andersen (chair), Anne Enger, Olav Njølstad (secretary) and Asle Toje.

Heiko Junge/NTB scanpix

The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the World Food Programme. The citation said the humanitarian organization, a part of the United Nations, is receiving the prize «for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.

The announcement was made by Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, who said in this time of pandemic «multilateral cooperation is more important than ever.

The WFP is active in 83 nations

The five-member committee chooses the winner of the Peace Prize. Committee members are named to six-year terms by the Norwegian Storting, or parliament.

The committee considered 318 candidates for the 2020 prize, the fourth largest number ever. Of the nominations, 211 were individuals and 108 were organizations.

The 2020 Nobel Prizes bring a cash award of 10 million Swedish krona ($1.12 million).

As is customary, the announcement was made in the Grand Hall of the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.