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Nobel Prize Win

FOOD DELIVERY A World Food Programme ship delivers wheat to a port in Lebanon in September. HAYTHAM AL ACHKAR—GETTY IMAGES

The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on October 9. It went to the World Food Programme (WFP). WFP is a United Nations agency. It provides emergency help to people who don’t have access to food. Its efforts have come at a crucial time. In 2020, there has been a rise in the number of people facing starvation. That’s because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Berit Reiss-Andersen heads the Norwegian Nobel Committee. It’s based in Oslo, Norway. She says the committee wants to “turn the eyes of the world towards the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger.”

WFP works mainly in places affected by conflict. Last year, the group worked in 88 countries. It provided food to 97 million people.

David Beasley leads WFP. In a statement, he said there’s no hope for a peaceful planet if people are hungry. The Nobel award, he said, “is a reminder that food security, peace, and stability go together.”

Stop and Think! Why is WFP’s Nobel Peace Prize newsworthy? After reading the article, are you more concerned about world hunger? Why or why not?

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