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Nobel Peace Prize for UN’s World Food Programme

Topics Covered: Food security related issues.

Nobel Peace Prize for UN’s World Food Programme:

Context:

The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has won the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger around the world and improve conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict.

Contributions and achievements of UN WFP:

  • It helps nearly 97 million people in about 88 countries each year.
  • WFP is a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
  • 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.

World Hunger Challenges:

  • One in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat.
  • According to an estimate, there will be 265 million starving people within a year.

Basics:

What is UN WFP?

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security.

Born in 1961, the WFP strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal in mind of eliminating the need for food aid itself.

It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee.

  • WFP food aid is also directed to fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat disease, including HIV and AIDS.

What is “World Hunger Map”?

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba is working with WFP to develop digital “World Hunger Map”.

  • The map will help to monitor global hunger and operations to end scourge by 2030 which is one of UN’s key Sustainable Development goals.
  • It also aims to boost efficiency of interventions and shorten emergency response times.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. WFP was established by?
  2. Objectives?
  3. World Hunger Map.
  4. Members of the United Nations Development Group.
  5. About Nobel Peace Prize.

Mains Link:

Discuss the objectives of UN’s World Food Programme.

Sources: the Hindu.