Nobel Peace Prize 2020 – Congratulations to World Food Programme and thank you to Marianne & Margaritha for raising the profile of nurses

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) congratulates the World Food Programme (WFP) for becoming worthy winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020. The award is in recognition of WFP’s efforts to combat hunger and contributing to bettering conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict.

Nurses who are first to see the effects of hunger, poverty and war on communities fully support WFP’s excellent work in this field.

ICN would also like to put on record its heartfelt thanks to all those who were involved in the nomination of the two Austrian nurses who dedicated their lives to caring for a community suffering from Hansen’s disease on the Korean Island of Sorok. The Korea Nurses Association are to be congratulated for running a wonderful international campaign backing Marianne and Margaritha.

ICN President Annette Kennedy said, “Their nomination and the campaign which was backed by an international petition of more than a million was a victory in itself. It not only made the lives, work and dedication of these two extraordinary women known around the world, it further raised the profile of nursing at this pivotal moment in history. The spirit of Marianna and Margaritha is clearly very much alive in the current generation of nurses engaged on the frontline against the pandemic.”

ICN takes this opportunity to thank President Shin of the Korea Nurses Association and all those who contributed to this marvelous campaign and also to reiterate our congratulations to WFP on their essential life-saving work.

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