Nobel Committee chair: Food insecurity drives conflict

Oslo, Oct. 9, (dpa/GNA) – The head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee says the coronavirus pandemic “strengthened” the logic for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 to the World Food Programme.

Food – and lack of food – is also used as a weapon and can drive conflict.

“I think it’s one of the oldest conflict weapons in the world, that you can starve out populations to enter a territory,” said Berit Reiss-Andersen, head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

She noted that “food insecurity” has been used “as a method to chase populations away from their territory, burning down farms, etc.”

“The pandemic shows that we are facing a major crisis, we are all in the same boat,” Reiss-Andersen added.
GNA