Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry congratulated on Wednesday the Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP) David Beasley on the occasion of the WFP's winning of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, a statement by the ministry said.

The foreign ministry's statement said such award came in recognition of the role the WFP played in combating hunger and enhancing food security on the global level, despite the unprecedented challenges the world faced due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

WFP, created in 1961, is the leading humanitarian organisation saving and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. 

The Egyptian ministry added that the WFP has also recently contributed to improving living conditions in conflict-hit places in addition to preventing the use of hunger as a tool in wars and conflicts, in a way that intensifies their humanitarian and social consequences, as contained in the award committee's statement.

In 2019, WFP assisted 97 million people – the largest number since 2012 –  in 88 countries, according to the website of the UN's body.