Nobel prize goes to WFP

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize last night.

The winner was announced as the World Food Programme, the world’s largest humanitarian organisation, at a ceremony at the Norska Nobelinstitutet in Oslo, Norway at 10pm NZT. Last year it provided assistance to close to 1 million people in 88 countries that are victim to food insecurity and hunger.

“We will never achieve the goal of zero hunger unless we also put an end to war and armed conflict,” the Nobel committee said.

The names of the other nominees will not be released for 50 years, in accordance with the rules, but bookmakers had Ardern in the top three nominees for her response to the March 15 mosque attacks and spearheading New Zealand’s Covid response. Other favourites included the World Health Organisation and climate activist Greta Thunberg, with US president Donald Trump tipped fourth.

Asked yesterday about a possible win, Ardern said: “I am extremely flattered by the fact that people even consider it within the realm of possibility, but it’s fair to say I never have.”