Vests such as this are used by staff working for the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) in different parts of the world. It signals that the wearer has good intentions, is reliable and is there to help. In areas of conflict, the vest also says that the wearer belongs to a neutral agency.
The vest was donated to the Nobel Prize Museum by World Food Programme in 2024.
A wheat sack and a food ration card show us how the UN World Food Programme helps people who are suffering food shortages due to war, conflicts or other crisis situations. The sack is labelled as wheat harvested in Ukraine in 2020. It symbolises the traditional way of providing aid by distributing food rations. The ration card is a newer way of distributing food to those in need. It serves as a voucher or coupon that can be used to pay for food in a shop or market. This gives the recipients more independence and dignity, while supporting local communities and businesses. The ration cards are usually handed out to women, who are responsible for the children in families that need aid.
The sack and the ration card were donated to the Nobel Prize Museum by Cindy McCain when she visited the Museum as the executive director of the WFP in 2024.
