The President joins the American people in congratulating the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for being awarded the 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 in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.” We are truly proud of the efforts of the WFP and the dedicated leadership of Executive Director David Beasley, a distinguished American statesman. The United States highly commends this choice.
The WFP is often the first agency to arrive in conflict-torn communities or those devastated by natural disasters, and it stays on the ground until those communities have the capacity and resilience to feed themselves. Just last year, the WFP assisted nearly 100 million women, children, and men in need, and its operations are an enduring model for the rest of the humanitarian community.
The WFP was founded in 1961 at the request of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a man who believed in the mission of the United Nations and understood that combating hunger is critical, not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is among the best ways to build stability in the world. The United States has played a central role in managing and financing the WFP, and the United States has always been its most significant contributor and stalwart supporter. Thanks to the generosity of the American people, this support amounts to more than 40 percent of the organization’s total contributions, providing those in crises with a lifeline.
The American people proudly support the WFP.
