Credit: Associated Press

They haven’t ended world hunger, but they’re on the right track.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded every year to those who have made the greatest contributions to global life, liberty, and general peace on Earth. Anyone who receives the Peace Prize has done truly amazing things to promote good will and the betterment of life around the world. It’s only fitting then that this year’s prize should be awarded to those who are working toward solving one of Earth’s oldest problems: world hunger.

The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the World Food Program, a United Nations agency that has made it their duty to provide clean, healthy meals to communities in countries across the planet. The organization regularly feeds at least 90 million people per year thanks to individual donations. In addition to helping people be healthy, the WFP’s efforts have also helped to foster peace in territories where the scarcity of food has led to bitter conflicts.

According to Nobel Committee chair, Berit Reiss-Andersen, the WFP was given this award “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 in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.”

Credit: 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) Public Affairs Office/U.S. Marine Corps.

The WFP’s efforts have been especially valuable in the COVID-19 era, as shutdowns and sickness have severely weakened farming and delivery infrastructure in multiple countries.

“The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to a strong upsurge in the number of victims of hunger in the world,” Reiss-Andersen said. “In the face of the pandemic, the World Food Program has demonstrated an impressive ability to intensify its efforts.”

In addition to their award, the WFP will receive a $1.1 million cash donation from the Nobel Committee, which will fund their continuous efforts to feed the world. “This is a powerful reminder to the world that peace and #ZeroHunger go hand-in-hand,” the WFP said in a statement.