The Nobel Peace Prize, WFP and the Bhutanese Refugees
Background
At approximately 11 am in Central Europe, a lady in a black suit stands outside the door of the conference hall in the Nobel Institute’s iconic building, located in Frogner Park, Oslo. Another lady rushes from behind, quickly fixes the vent wrinkles on the first lady’s blazer, and then the door opens. Supporting her fractured leg with crutches, she calmly enters the hall and approaches the podium. “Good morning. The need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is more conspicuous than ever,” she begins, breaking the silence of the room, which is sparsely populated by journalists and other attendees. This is Berit Reiss-Andersen, the leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize to the World Food Program (WFP). The World Health Organization (WHO), leading the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic; press freedom watchdogs like the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders; New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern; and 17-year-old Swedish environmental activist Grete Tunberg were among the 318 nominees for the prize. The Nobel Committee chose WFP “for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.” Though the Nobel Committee’s 2020 choice might not be entirely uncontroversial, many celebrated the decision.
When asked by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) about his initial reaction, David Beasley, the Executive Director of WFP, replied, “Are you joking with me? You’re kidding! That was my first reaction. You do not expect to receive such an award. My goodness, I’m so happy.”
WFP in Global Perspectives
Founded in 1967, WFP was established to organize and coordinate food assistance in emergencies and work with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Since food shortages, malnutrition, and hunger lead to poor health, which subsequently impacts sustainable development areas like education, employment, and poverty, WFP’s efforts in combating these issues are significant in attaining sustainable development goals.
As a leading humanitarian organization, WFP claims to have assisted 97 million people in 88 countries in 2019. On any given day, WFP has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships, and nearly 100 planes on the move, delivering food and other assistance to those in most need. Over the past 50 years, WFP has provided school meals to more than 17.3 million children in 50 different countries, often in the hardest-to-reach areas. Despite these accomplishments, the organization is mainly known for its Emergency Response Procedures, designed for situations that demand an immediate response.
WFP does not have an independent income source and relies on voluntary donations in cash or in-kind from governments, corporations, and individuals. The United States and the European Union are among its largest donors.
Due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, experts warn that food scarcity may dramatically increase. In May, the organization cautioned that hunger could double in East Africa, where vulnerable and needy people living hand-to-mouth in informal settlements, and millions of refugees located in densely populated camps across the region might suffer the most.
WFP’s efforts and services have also provoked controversies. In 2005, James Shikwati, a Kenyan economist, criticized the financial aid, arguing it taught Africans to be beggars rather than independent. Claims have also been made that the aid money has promoted corruption and complacency. Some analysts believe that the organization failed to address dilemmas in humanitarian operations in conflict situations like the hunger crises in Ethiopia (1983 – 1985) and South Sudan (1989 – 2005). Though these operations saved millions of lives, critics claim they prolonged and cemented the conflicts in these areas.
Reports of other abuses have gained media attention. In January 2018, The Guardian reported that a WFP official was under investigation for alleged sexual harassment. Similarly, in October 2019, Foreign Policy reported abuse of authority, harassment, and widespread discrimination within the organization.
WFP and Bhutanese Refugees
When Bhutanese refugees began arriving in Eastern Nepal in 1992, WFP, along with UNHCR, was one of the first organizations to provide assistance. Nepal had not, and still has not, signed the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which is the key legal document defining who refugees are, their rights, and the legal obligations of states. The Bhutanese refugees were not allowed to engage in any economic activities that could support their hand-to-mouth existence, making them utterly dependent on external support for survival.
At the request of the Government of Nepal (GoN), WFP began providing food assistance under a series of emergency and protracted relief operations. The main goals of these operations were to save lives, protect the livelihoods of the refugees, provide secure access to food, improve refugees’ nutritional status, and enable them to acquire skills that would improve self-reliance, in alignment with Millennium Development Goal 1 and Zero Hunger.
WFP’s operations continued without significant discrepancies until 2004. In a statement presented to the Executive Board of the WFP in February 2004, UNHCR mentioned that the funding instrument of the WFP for the refugees would run out in June 2004. A ‘Letter of Understanding’ signed in June 2003 by WFP and GoN committed $8.6 million to maintain the seven camps.
Citing stopgap funding from donors in December 2006, WFP warned that it would no longer be able to provide full rations to more than 106,000 Bhutanese refugees from January 2007. “Despite recent international media and donor attention on the exiled Bhutanese issue, it has not yet translated into the kind of financial support that WFP has received in previous years, putting the health and safety of the refugees at serious risk,” said Richard Ragan, WFP’s Country Representative in Nepal.
The group resettlement program for the Bhutanese refugees began in late 2007. By the end of 2009, the refugee camps had already seen thousands of people resettled in seven different Western countries. Despite difficulties in fund generation, WFP generously continued its “full rations assistance” until October 2009. On 15th October 2009, due to funding shortfalls, WFP was forced to reduce the rations by 50%. WFP stated this was the first time in 18 years such action had been taken, and it was working to resolve the problem by appealing to donors for US$4 million to allow continued feeding until January 2010. Some refugees accused WFP of forcing them to opt for the resettlement program by cutting the ration support, but WFP flatly denied the charge..
In November 2009, WFP received a donation of AUD 500,000 (USD 460, 000) from the Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program (AusAID), and WFP was able to resume full ration distribution two weeks after funding shortfalls had forced the reduction in rice rations. Subsequently, the Danish Government extended financial assistance of USD 60,000 in December 2009 to support WFP in its food program for the refugees.
Due to a severe lack of funding, as it claimed, WFP reduced the amount of food provided to less vulnerable refugees from January 2017. From around 11,000 refugees, there were about 3,100 refugees identified as vulnerable who received “full rations” by this time. The full ration, equivalent to 2,100 calories per person per day, consisted of a monthly supply of around 17 kilograms of food, composed of a daily ration of 440 grams of rice, 90 grams of varied pulses, and 25 grams of vegetable oil. The remaining 7,700 refugees received monthly rations of 10 kg of rice, thanks to the remaining funds.
In November 2018, WFP announced its transition from the food assistance program to Bhutanese refugees in January 2019. The transition was planned following the successful resettlement of more than 100,000 individuals in eight different resettlement countries. The organization also mentioned that it would “disburse the last remaining funds as a ‘close-out package’ ensuring that all refugees receive funds for three to six months, with priority given to the most vulnerable.” Completing one of the most successful humanitarian support programs spanning over a quarter-century, WFP spent over USD 86 million to meet the refugees’ food needs. Though it is ending camp operations, WFP said it would continue to work with the Government of Nepal and other countries to find sustainable alternative solutions for the remaining refugees.
Congratulations!!
The presence of the World Food Program (WFP) in the lives of Bhutanese refugees during their years of confinement in the refugee camps in Eastern Nepal is an unforgettable memory. The controversies surrounding WFP at the policy level have little relevance to the experiences of the Bhutanese refugees. The unpleasant memories of the rotten vegetables and rice received upon opening the ration stores’ doors may fade away with time. Similarly, the bitter recollection of winter temperatures penetrating their poorly insulated bodies and solidifying palm olein oil in their makeshift kitchens might also fade. The discussion about whether the Nobel Committee upheld the true spirit of the Nobel Peace Prize by awarding it to WFP can be postponed for another occasion. There will be opportunities to delve into the controversies, reports of abuses, and weaknesses of WFP in reaching those in need. However, for now, congratulations are in order for WFP. Their successful operations in the Bhutanese refugee camps for 25 years deserve appreciation. Without the support of the WFP and numerous other organizations, the ill-fated refugees, victims of ethnic cleansing policies by the country known for its Gross National Happiness, would have likely been abandoned elsewhere long ago by the cruel weapon of hunger.