The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) “for its efforts to combat hunger, to contribute to the improvement of peace in conflict-affected areas and to act as a driving force in efforts to prevent hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
WFP chief David Beasley told the BBC:
"Receiving this award is an acknowledgment for the men and women in the World Food Program who work with the people who suffer every day. So I think the World Food Program is a model that everyone should follow. ”
The group says it provided aid to nearly 100 million people in 88 countries last year, victims of food insecurity and hunger.
The agency was set up in 1961, following calls from former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower for a "workable scheme" to be devised to provide food aid through the United Nations system. Months after it was created, the WFP responded to a major earthquake in northern Iran by distributing wheat, sugar and tea to survivors. Since then, it has continued to respond to natural disasters and conflicts around the world.
However, the organization has also had controversy. In an internal WFP poll last year, at least 28 employees said they had experienced rape or sexual assault while working in agencies. More than 640 others said they were victims or had witnessed sexual harassment. Beasley told the Associated Press he was "making tough choices to bring about change."
Burimi: BBC, Associated Press
