'Food is the best vaccine against chaos'; U.N. food agency WFP wins Peace Nobel

By Nerijus Adomaitis and Stephanie Nebehay

 

FILE PHOTO: Workers carry the aid provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) for distribution in Pissila, Burkina Faso January 24, 2020. Picture taken January 24, 2020. REUTERS/Anne Mimault/File Photo

 

OSLO/GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations food agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict.

 

The Rome-based organisation says it helps some 97 million people in about 88 countries each year, and that one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat.

 

"The need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is more conspicuous than ever," Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairwoman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, told a news conference.

 

The WFP is a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which the WFP says could double hunger worldwide, has made it even more relevant, she said.

 

"Until the day we have a medical vaccine, food is the best vaccine against chaos," the Nobel committee said in its citation.

 

"There is an estimate within the World Food Programme that... there will be 265 million starving people within a year, so of course this is also a call to the international community not to underfund the World Food Programme."

 

WFP runs a logistics service that has dispatched medical cargoes to over 120 countries throughout the pandemic to help governments and health partners fighting COVID-19.

 

It also has provided passenger services to ferry humanitarian and health workers where commercial flights were unavailable.

 

'WOW! WOW! WOW!'

 

WFP Executive Director David Beasley, travelling in Niger, posted a video statement on social media.

 

"It's because of the WFP family," he said. "They are out there in the most difficult, complex places in the world, where there's war, conflict, climate extremes – it doesn't matter. They are out there and they deserve this award ...

 

"This is the first time I've been speechless ... This is unbelievable," he said. "And wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!"

 

In a written statement, he added: "Today is a reminder that food security, peace and stability go together. Without peace, we cannot achieve our global goal of zero hunger; and while there is hunger, we will never have a peaceful world."

 

In Geneva, WFP spokesman Tomson Phiri told reporters:

 

"Everything went into shutdown following nationwide and global restrictions following COVID-19. The WFP stepped up to the plate, we were able to connect communities. At one point, we were the biggest airline in the world, when most, if not all, commercial airlines had ground to halt."

 

Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, said the Norwegian Nobel Committee had wanted to send a message of both hope and "support for international cooperation".

 

"Hunger, like climate change, the pandemic and other issues, is a world problem that can only be properly addressed through cooperation. The World Food Programme is an institution of global cooperation," he told Reuters.

 

"Unfortunately, in too many quarters, especially among the great powers, there is a declining appetite for cooperation," he said, adding that world hunger was increasing again, having declined for several decades until 2016.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-09

 

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"The United Nations food agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), won the Nobel Peace Prize..."

 

How dare you?! You have stolen my dreams...

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 20205 yr by Morch

The UNWFP, a fabulously effective organization and deserving winner of the Nobel Prize.

12 hours ago, Morch said:

"The United Nations food agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), won the Nobel Peace Prize..."

 

How dare you?! You have stolen my dreams...

 

 

 

I think Chomper's "sad" emoji indicates that he misunderstood or did not catch on to your ironic teasing of the Swedish prophet of apocalyptic doom.....

1 hour ago, blazes said:

I think Chomper's "sad" emoji indicates that he misunderstood or did not catch on to your ironic teasing of the Swedish prophet of apocalyptic doom.....

You think wrongly, again.

Well done, well deserved. Congratulations

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"Unfortunately, in too many quarters, especially among the great powers, there is a declining appetite for cooperation," he said, adding that world hunger was increasing again, having declined for several decades until 2016.

Profit over everything else, lives don't matter, never have, sadly, just look how the planet is looking at the moment.

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Profit over everything else, lives don't matter, never have, sadly, just look how the planet is looking at the moment.

You are writing that at a time when nearly all the Worlds Governments have closed their Countries down, causing a huge decline in profits for everyone , done to save peoples lives .

  So, lives do matter and its not profit over everything else 

Well done. Im surprised trump didnt get the nod for bring peace to the US.

2 hours ago, Sujo said:

Well done. Im surprised trump didnt get the nod for bring peace to the US.

Another one trying to hijack a thread for political reasons. Sad, very sad.

5 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

You are writing that at a time when nearly all the Worlds Governments have closed their Countries down, causing a huge decline in profits for everyone , done to save peoples lives .

  So, lives do matter and its not profit over everything else 

Not exactly ‘a huge decline in profits for everyone’ though is it?!

6 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

So, lives do matter and its not profit over everything else 

My comments must have flown straight over your head.

 

Who do you think is going to make the biggest profits from all of this, big pharma, the banks, the elite, well I can tell you the little average guys, will lose, and continue to lose, all for a vaccine that will more than likely be as effective as the flu jab, 40%, 50%, 60% tops.

 

Do you seriously think governments and corporations give a rats, if you do, then you I am sorry to say suffer from delusions of grandeur.

Edited October 10, 20205 yr by 4MyEgo

3 hours ago, TKDfella said:

Another one trying to hijack a thread for political reasons. Sad, very sad.

Well he was nominated, blame those that nominated him for political reasons.

 

But its all good, he will be sure to have a pic of himself at maralago receiving the award, just like the fake pic of him getting Times person of the year.

31 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

My comments must have flown straight over your head.

 

Who do you think is going to make the biggest profits from all of this, big pharma, the banks, the elite, well I can tell you the little average guys, will lose, and continue to lose, all for a vaccine that will more than likely be as effective as the flu jab, 40%, 50%, 60% tops.

 

Do you seriously think governments and corporations give a rats, if you do, then you I am sorry to say suffer from delusions of grandeur.

Governments have raked up huge debts and economies are in ruins , everyone has been effected , even corporations are going bankrupt .

  I dont buy onto the *Governments, banks and corporations are all against the people* , we are all in this together 

Credit to US being the largest donor for last few years. It’s fortunate that Trump has not heard of WFP. Probably he thought this another fast food joint like KFC. 

11 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Credit to US being the largest donor for last few years. It’s fortunate that Trump has not heard of WFP. Probably he thought this another fast food joint like KFC. 

Some of you guys are obsessed with him , its like you cannot think about any other subject if it doesnt involve Trump 

5 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Some of you guys are obsessed with him , its like you cannot think about any other subject if it doesnt involve Trump 

Be fair its trlevant that Trump hasn't heard of the WFP. If he had, he'd have pulled out of it.

2 minutes ago, polpott said:

Be fair its trlevant that Trump hasn't heard of the WFP. If he had, he'd have pulled out of it.

Why not have another Trump bashing thread ?

There's four of you here already and the rest will undoubtedly be along soon ,  may as well go for it .

 

Just now, CorpusChristie said:

Why not have another Trump bashing thread ?

There's four of you here already and the rest will undoubtedly be along soon ,  may as well go for it .

 

There are no trump bashing threads on TV. They are "telling the Truth about Trump" threads. Apples and oranges. Oops did I say "oranges"? Sorry.

17 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Some of you guys are obsessed with him , its like you cannot think about any other subject if it doesnt involve Trump 

Besides the temptation of pulling aids from any program that has the prefix “world”, he may insist that good aids must have a thank letter from him. Not beyond his behavior neither is that bashing as he had done exactly that many times. 

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

Governments have raked up huge debts and economies are in ruins , everyone has been effected , even corporations are going bankrupt .

  I dont buy onto the *Governments, banks and corporations are all against the people* , we are all in this together 

Actually, we don't have a choice, do we ?

 

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/did-who-just-accidentally-confirm-covid-no-more-dangerous-flu?fbclid=IwAR2Zo6ZwXf-QwkhGuDDTl9bt2CP7zKt_pawpU7FH0fgVkrhw9aIPdpTuabw