[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 209 (Thursday, December 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7418-S7419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME FOR RECEIVING THE 2020 NOBEL PEACE 
                                 PRIZE

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I rise to honor the United Nations World 
Food Programme, which is receiving the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize today.
  The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to those ``who shall have done the 
most, or the best work, for fraternity between nations, for the 
abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and 
promotion of peace congresses.''
  The World Food Programme, WFP, the largest humanitarian organization 
focused on eliminating global hunger and increasing food security, 
truly embodies those ideals.
  The organization was awarded the honor 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.''
  Those efforts, when put into numbers, show just what an enormous 
impact WFP has as a last line of defense between hungry people and 
starvation. Each year, the organization provides more than 15 billion 
meals to 100 million people in more than 80 countries. It was the 
world's largest nongovernmental provider of school meals, reaching 18 
million children in 59 countries in last year.
  The logistical challenges of accomplishing this goal may seem 
overwhelming to most but not to the WFP. The organization has it down 
to a science. WFP's 18,000 staff has over 5,000 trucks, 120 aircraft, 
and 20 ships on the move daily, bringing food to those who need it 
most.
  The WFP's executive director, David Beasley, is a good friend of 
mine. His commitment to serving a higher calling is inspirational. I 
couldn't be more pleased that the spotlight is pointed on the work of 
the WFP under David's dedicated leadership.
  David will be the first to tell you that despite this honor, the 
WFP's work is far from complete. After the announcement, he said, ``The 
good news is we're feeding 80 million people on any given day in 80 
countries. The bad news is it's getting worse out there--the famine, 
the droughts, the conflicts.''
  While that assessment is spot-on, I would add one more factor to the 
list, the coronavirus pandemic. According to the WFP, the COVID-19 
pandemic has the potential to double the number of people facing acute 
hunger to 270 million people. It may also lead to emergence of famine 
in multiple countries.
  The pandemic makes the lifesaving work of the WFP all that much more 
vital. In a world where 60 percent of people suffering from chronic 
hunger live in countries affected by violence, additional nutritional 
access constraints only serve to make food a more powerful weapon of 
war. The WFP's efforts to overcome that challenge and bring food to the 
hungry in conflict zones makes the organization well-deserved of the 
honor of a Nobel Peace Prize.

[[Page S7419]]

  Eliminating hunger at home and abroad takes an all-hands-on-deck 
approach. It requires leaders with visionary solutions and supporting 
team members who are willing to put in the hard work to bring about 
meaningful change. David Beasley and his team at the WFP embody these 
principles. I congratulate them and offer my continued support as we 
work together toward a world where hunger is no longer an issue.

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