PRESS RELEASE:
October 12, 2020
URI Congratulates the World Food Programme for Being Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
URI expresses its congratulations to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on being awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize 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.
As the world faces crises such as starvation, conflicts, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and as the number of people suffering from hunger is at a very high record, URI highly recognizes and appreciates the work of WFP in providing life-saving food assistance to the millions across the world, often in extremely dangerous and hard to access conditions.
URI also highly appreciates and pays respect to WFP staff throughout the world who are dedicatedly carrying out their mission under severe environments.
URI is happy to notice that the role of the WFP, which has achieved a prompt and effective response to humanitarian crises, is gaining more importance than ever.
URI is very much concerned that one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat, as the international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security, and achieve improved nutrition by 2030.
URI would like to make a call for all stakeholders to work in partnership to break the cycle of hunger and poverty in the world.
World Food Programme (WFP)
WFP is the specialized food assistance organization of the United Nations, and it is the largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies, and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.
Every year, WFP provides food assistance to 80 million people in over 80 countries. In emergencies, WFP is often first on the scene, providing food assistance to victims of disasters such as drought, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, crop failures, war and civil conflict. When the emergency subsides, WFP helps communities rebuild shattered lives and livelihoods. WFP also works to strengthen the resilience of people and communities affected by protracted crises by applying a development lens in our humanitarian response.
Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Zero Hunger – pledges to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, and is the priority of the World Food Programme.
WFP works towards achievement of the Zero Hunger goal with its sister UN agencies in Rome – the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – as well as governments, other UN and NGO partners, in support of Sustainable Development Goal 17.
In addition to emergency response, WFP gives priority to supporting disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation and post-disaster rehabilitation activities as part of development programmes
URI
URI is a global grassroots interfaith network that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities and the world. The purpose of URI is to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously-motivated violence, and to create cultures of peace, justice, and healing for the Earth and all living beings. URI has NGO consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN. URI is also an affiliate member of the Department of Global Communications of the United Nations, previously known as the Department of Public Information (DPI). URI has 1063 member organizations in 109 countries.
URI envisions a world at peace, sustained by engaged and interconnected communities committed to respect for diversity, nonviolent resolution of conflict, and social, political, economic, and environmental justice.
For more information on URI www.uri.org
May Peace Prevail on Earth.