DAVOS: The World Food Program (WFP) honored Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah as the Champion in the Battle Against Hunger for 2008 at a function held in the Swiss city of Davos on Thursday evening. Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Zainal Alireza received the award on behalf of the king from Josette Sheeran, executive director of WFP, at a dinner in Davos that was attended by representatives of various governments, organizations and corporations.
Sheeran thanked King Abdullah for supporting WFP and donating $500 million. WFP is a UN frontline agency in the fight against global hunger and is regarded as the world’s largest humanitarian organization. “King Abdullah’s donation stands out as a beacon of hope for hungry and poor people the world over,” Sheeran was quoted by the Saudi Press Agency as saying.
“It is a great honor for me to receive the distinguished prize on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. His act sends a message to the world that we all should shoulder the responsibility in the fight against hunger. The message is urgent, especially in the light of the current economic crisis and its accompanying woes,” said Alireza while receiving the award.
“We in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will never turn a blind eye to the sufferings of the millions as liberation from hunger is one of the priorities of human rights, a goal toward which the king is leading us,” the minister added.
Speaking on the occasion, Kofi Annan, the former secretary-general of the United Nations, said: “I am not surprised by King Abdullah’s generosity which would help protect millions in the developing world. I am familiar with how his heart goes out to people suffering injustices and hunger.”
