World Food Programme: A Driving Force in the Fight against World Hunger

Every day, many adults and children are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Today, 821
million people, or one in nine, do not get enough food to sustain themselves or their loved ones.
The fact becomes more tragic when we already produce enough food to feed 10 billion people. It
goes to show that hunger isn’t caused by scarcity but by poverty and inequality.

Additionally, according to the World Food Programme Hunger Map of 2020, if the current trends
of world hunger continue, we’ll reach 840 million hungry people by 2030.

The consequences of not getting enough or the wrong food are severe, from causing suffering to
slowing down progress. Education and employment are also affected by world hunger. The
situation has only aggravated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But not all is lost. Many organizations are taking swift action to eradicate hunger and
malnutrition. One such organization is the World Food Programme and its contribution to
improving people’s lives by adopting the Zero Hunger goal from the Global Goals for
Sustainable Development.

What Is the World Food Programme

The World Food Programme is a branch of the United Nations concerned with food assistance
and fighting world hunger. They are considered the world’s largest humanitarian organization.
The World Food Programme saw its beginnings in 1961 when the American politician, historian,
and U.S. senator Geroge McGovern proposed the launch of a collaborative food aid program,
which started by aiding the Nubian population in Sudan, then expanding to the rest of the world.

Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel Prizes are only given to the greatest contributions that benefit humankind. It is the highest
honor any organization could receive.
For its efforts in combating starvation, contributing to the betterment of conflict-stricken regions,
and being a driving force in preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war, The World Food
Programme was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.

Contributions of WFP in Eradicating World Hunger and Malnutrition

Over the years, WFP, along with its partners, worked hard to bring the world closer to the goal of
zero hunger. They are fulfilling this purpose by providing food and nutrition to those in need, all
while tackling the root causes to avoid the need to save the same lives each year.

Every day, the World Food Programme mobilizes around 5600 trucks, 100 planes, and 30 ships
to deliver food and assistance to people suffering from hunger in every region of the world. In
2019, they managed to assist 97 million people in 88 countries by delivering 4.4 million
megatons of food and US$762 worth of goods and services.

To completely eradicate world hunger, WFP can’t stand alone. It is up to governments,
organizations, and citizens to stand together, innovate and create solutions that stop hunger and
malnutrition once and for all