UN’s World Food Programme wins Nobel peace prize

The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for its efforts to combat hunger.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the WFP had acted “as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict”.

The prize is worth 10m Swedish krona ($1.1m; £872,600).

The winner was announced at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.

A WFP spokesman said it was a “proud moment”.

The WFP estimates it helps about 97 million people a year, in 88 countries.

The World Health Organization and climate activist Greta Thunberg were among the favourites for this year’s award.

The Nobel Peace Prize last year went to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose peace deal with Eritrea ended a 20-year military stalemate following their 1998-2000 border war.

Former US President Barack Obama won the prize in 2009, for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples”.

Other notable winners include former US President Jimmy Carter (2002); child education activist Malala Yousafzai (shared 2014); the European Union (2012); the United Nations and its secretary-general at the time, Kofi Annan, (shared 2001); and Mother Teresa (1979).

There have been some years when the prize has not been awarded – mostly during the two world wars.

Nobel Foundation rules state if nobody deserves the prize in a particular category, it is not awarded and its prize money is kept for the following year.