« We need the money, » said David Beasley, the executive director of the U.N. agency.
The United Nations World Food Program is the winner of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for combating world hunger and its efforts « to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict. » Last year, the program provided assistance to close to one million people across 88 countries. David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. agency and former governor of South Carolina, told CBSN on Friday that the recognition is an « honor and a blessing, » especially « in a time like this. » According to Beasley, the number of people on the brink of starvation — not people going to bed hungry — jumped from 135 million people to 270 million people during the. « With all the wealth we have in the world today, we have a cure for starvation, we have a cure for famine, we have a cure and it’s called food. But we need the money, » Beasley said. « Our people are dedicated to doing this job and getting it out there and saving lives. » The Nobel Peace Prize comes with a cash award of $1 million, but Beasley said the World Food Program needs about $5 billion to feed the world’s hungry and starving people. He called on billionaires making during the pandemic to think of the greater good.
