UNO’s World Food Program is awarded with Nobel Peace Prize 2020

The program is aimed at addressing the issue of hunger and provide food security

• United Nations Organization’s “The World Food Program” is awarded the Nobel
  Peace Prize – 2020
• It is for its efforts to combat a surge in global hunger amid the corona virus
  pandemic, which has swept around the world with devastating impact
• The said program is aimed at addressing the issue of hunger and provide food
  security

Key highlights

• The agency was given the prize for its efforts to combat hunger and improve
  conditions for peace
• WFP was declared winner of the prestigious award “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
• with this year’s award the committee wanted to “turn the eyes of the world to
  the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger”
• The World Food Program plays a key role in multilateral co-operation in making
  food security an instrument of peace
• In the face of the pandemic, the World Food Program has demonstrated an
  impressive ability to intensify its efforts

What is UNO’s World Food Program?

• The World Food Program which was started by the United nations in 1963
• It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization
• The program is aimed at addressing the issue of hunger and provide food
  security
• The program has assisted around 100 million people in 88 countries in 2019
• The assistance has been provide to people who are victims of acute food
  insecurity and hunger
• The world food program is in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable
  Development Goals to Eradicating hunger
• The primary focus areas of world food program include climate action disaster
  risk reduction, Nutrition, gender equality, social protection and sustainable
  livelihoods

Reach of World Food Program

• The organization started providing nutrition enriched and ready to use
  therapeutic foods to around 75 countries in 2013. This was done to tackle
  malnourishment.
• Building blocks program, 2017- To provide money for food assistance. It mainly
  assisted Syrian refugees in Jordan.
• Purchase for progress (P4P) project 2018- The program aims to assist small
  land holding farmers by providing them opportunities to access agricultural
  market
• The program mainly focus in African countries.
• Take home ration programs and school feeding programs have been launched
  in 71 countries.
• In 2020, organization has been feeding more than 12 million Yemenis. 80% of
  the beneficiaries are from areas affected by Houthi rebels

World Food Program in India

• The second most populous country in the world, India has enjoyed steady
  economic growth and has achieved self-sufficiency in grain production in recent
  years
• Despite this, high levels of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition persist
• Around 21.25 percent of the population lives on less than US$1.90 a day, and
  levels of inequality and social exclusion are very high
• WFP is working to improve the efficiency, accountability and transparency of
  India’s own subsidized food distribution system, which brings supplies of
  wheat, rice, sugar and kerosene oil to around 800 million poor people across
  the country
• WFP ensures that food reaches those who need it most, working with the
  Government to reform and strengthen the system, which is one of the world’s
  largest

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