270 million people worldwide face starvation threat: WFP

Some 270 million people worldwide stand on the brink of starvation, the head of the United Nations’ World Food Programme said on Thursday upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

According to Reuters, the number of people at risk is equivalent to the combined populations of Germany, Britain, France and Italy.

The WFP, which has coordinated medical logistics during the coronavirus pandemic, was announced winner of the award for 2020 in October.

“Because of so many wars, climate change, the widespread use of hunger as a political and military weapon, and a global health pandemic that makes all of that exponentially worse — 270 million people are marching toward starvation,” David Beasley said from the WFP headquarters in Rome, upon receiving the Nobel medal and diploma.

“Failure to address their needs will cause a hunger pandemic which will dwarf the impact of COVID,” he added.

WFP officials are expected to travel to Oslo at a later stage to deliver the traditional Nobel lecture when the risk of pandemic subsides.