The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | WFP
UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing: Nobel Peace Price 2020 for World Food Programme 2020
UN World Food Programme wins 2020 Nobel Peace Prize
The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which provides lifesaving food assistance to millions across the world – often in extremely dangerous and hard-to-access conditions – was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize today. The agency was recognized “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 to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict”, said Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
WFP's spokesperson in Geneva reacted to the announcement by the Norwegian Nobel Committee at the United Nations press briefing in Geneva, Switzerland: “I have just learned that the Nobel Peace Price has been awarded to the World Food Programme”, said Tomson Phiri, Spokesperson of the World Food Programme (WFP).
WFP is the largest humanitarian organization in the world. Last year, it assisted 97 million people in 88 countries. Its efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations. Two-thirds of the work is in conflict-affected countries where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict.
“Yes, I will just say this is a pride moment, the nomination itself was enough and then to go out to be named Nobel Peace Price winner is nothing short of a feat”, Tomson Phiri said. “This is an organization I have served for 9 years. I have seen the extent to which people are dedicated across the globe, go the extra mile just before I moved to Geneva I was based in South Sudan where people would walk on foot to serve humanity, and it’s really a proud moment. I really feel honored to be a member of this great team”.
With this recognition, WFP joins the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Peacekeeping, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld and former Under-Secretary-General Ralph Bunche, and the UN itself as Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
"I think the great list of organizations that have been nominated do fantastic work. And for WFP as well, I think for this year we have gone all and above the call of duty. We have been able to support, even when other -- I mean you saw everything went into shutdown following nationwide global restrictions following Covid-19 -- the World Food Programme 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 have grounded to a halt," Mr Phiri said.
"We were able to move assistance to keep people moving," he continued. "We were able to deliver assistance and this was through the global common services that we provided that some, most, of the aid workers, were able to stay in some places and deliver, even in communities where people were at risk of both the infection and hunger”.
Mr. Phiri explained that thanks to its global logistics network, the agency had made it possible for a number of other humanitarian actors to continue to do their work even as the COVID-19 pandemic brought global activity to a grinding halt. WFP not only provided short-term food aid, he explained, but also assisted people to become self-sustainable, growing enough food to feed themselves. Funded entirely by voluntary donations, WFP received record support in 2020, Mr. Phiri said.
“This is really a proud moment. This is a humbling nomination to say the least. Not only is it for the staff and the people who work for the World Food Programme, but also the many volunteers and the communities we are working in”, Tomson Phiri said.
Praising the work of the UN agency, Nobel Committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen highlighted WFP’s role in boosting resilience and sustainability among communities by helping them to feed themselves.
WFP, Headquartered in Rome, was established in 1961 and had helped millions of people in extremely dangerous and hard-to-reach countries affected by conflict and natural disaster, including Yemen, Syria and North Korea.
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations flag alley, nations’ flags flying, a cloudy day.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Tomson Phiri, Spokesperson of the World Food Programme (WFP): “I have just learned that the Nobel Peace Price has been awarded to the World Food Programme”.
- Wide shot, podium Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Tomson Phiri, Spokesperson of the World Food Programme (WFP): “Yes, I will just say this is a pride moment, the nomination itself was enough and then to go out to be named Nobel Peace Price winner is nothing short of a feat. This is an organization I have served for 9 years, I have seen the extent to which people are dedicated across the globe, go the extra mile. Just before I moved to Geneva, I was based in South Sudan where people would walk on foot to serve humanity and it’s really a proud moment, I really feel honored to be a member of this great team”.
- Medium shot, podium
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Tomson Phiri, Spokesperson of the World Food Programme (WFP): “I think the great list of organizations that have been nominated do fantastic work. And for WFJP as well, I think for this year we have gone all and above the call of duty. We have been able to support, even when other – I mean you saw everything went into shutdown following nationwide global restrictions following Covid-19, the World Food Programme 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 have grounded to a halt, we were able to move assistance to keep people moving. We were able to deliver assistance and this was through the global common services that we provided that some, most of the aid workers were able to stay in some places and deliver, even in communities where people were at risk of both the infection and hunger”.
- Medium shot, journalists sitting and listening, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Tomson Phiri, Spokesperson of the World Food Programme (WFP): “This is really a proud moment, this is a humbling nomination to say the least. Not only is it for the staff and the people who work for the World Food Programme, but also the many volunteers and the communities we are working in”.
- Medium shot, cameraman
- Wide shot, press room
- Close up, cameras
- Various shots, Tomson Phiri speaking to journalists
Similar Stories
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘We need all routes to open’: in Gaza WHO calls for ramp-up of medevacs, easier access for essentials
Two weeks since a ceasefire agreement entered into force in Gaza the World Health Organization (WHO) noted progress on the flow of aid while calling for more evacuations of critical patients and eased entry for essential medicines and supplies.
1
12
1
1
Edited News | WMO , UNITED NATIONS
UN chief urges boost to life-saving weather warning systems, stresses role of climate change science
No country is safe from the devastating impacts of extreme weather — and saving lives means making early-warning systems accessible to all, UN chief António Guterres said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Gazans’ response to food distributions ‘overwhelming’ as humanitarians scale up under fragile ceasefire
In Gaza, the ceasefire is enabling UN humanitarians to reach more desperate people with life-saving food, but greater access is needed to contain the spread of famine.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP , OCHA
UN urges opening of all Gaza crossings to deliver three-month food supply
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned food aid cannot reach everyone in Gaza unless all border crossings are opened, particularly in the north where famine was declared in August. The agency says it already has enough supplies in place to feed the entire population of the Strip for three months – if full access is granted by Israel.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNDP , UNICEF , OCHA , ICRC
Around $70 billion will be needed to reconstruct Gaza and make it safe after two years of war, UN development experts said on Tuesday, while aid agencies reported that far too little aid continues to reach desperate Palestinians.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on Friday welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize committee’s decision to name Maria Machado as this year’s laureate, in recognition of her work promoting the Venezuelan people’s democratic hopes.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , UNICEF , WHO
As Gazans jammed the main route leading north on Friday after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was announced, UN aid teams repeated their call to open all crossings into the devastated enclave to prevent famine spreading.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO
Two years of Gaza-Israel war bring ‘indescribable’ pain: UN humanitarians
Two years since the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UN humanitarians on Tuesday reiterated calls for the release of all hostages in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire and an aid surge to alleviate Palestinians’ suffering, as talks on a US-driven peace plan continued in Egypt.
1
1
1
Edited News
Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned that three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , ICRC
Quadcopter victims, terror and death: 30 minutes in a Gaza hospital
UN aid teams on Friday highlighted the disturbing situation in Gaza’s makeshift hospitals, where premature babies cry for scant oxygen and medics attempt to save child survivors targeted by airstrikes in their tents and quadcopter victims reportedly shot while fetching bread.
2
1
2
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday delivered his oral update to the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session on the human rights situation in Haiti.
The High Commissioner welcomed Wednesday’s decision of the UN Security Council to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission by transitioning to the Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, stating it is a strong signal of international support for the Haitian people.