“Bread for the World welcomes the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas and prays it will lead to a lasting peace. This war has gone on far too long, causing unthinkable human suffering on both sides – including the kidnapping of innocent Israeli civilians, the imprisonment and displacement of Palestinians, extreme hunger and famine, the wholesale destruction of Gaza, and tens of thousands of innocent civilian deaths, including children. Bread has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to this war and acknowledges President Trump and his administration’s critical role in brokering the ceasefire agreement.

“Bread now urges all parties involved to immediately scale up the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian assistance entering Gaza. Malnutrition and starvation have claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians, which humanitarian aid could have prevented. Much of the population of Gaza is experiencing emergency levels of hunger and more than 500,000 people are facing catastrophic levels. Almost 55,000 children under the age of six are estimated to be acutely malnourished.

“In addition, we urge Congress and the White House to increase funding for humanitarian assistance in the fiscal year 2026 budget. U.S. funded humanitarian assistance will not only help meet the dire need in Gaza, but also the many other countries that are facing famine and destruction including Sudan, Haiti, Mali, and South Sudan, among others.

“’Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.’ 2 Thessalonians 3:16.”

The post Bread Welcomes Israel, Hamas Ceasefire Agreement appeared first on Bread for the World.

In 2024, 673.2 million people faced hunger—meaning they didn’t have enough food to live a normal, healthy life. It’s a staggering number. And while that figure represents a slight global decrease in hunger—8.5 percent lower than the year before—it’s still far worse than it was before the pandemic. We haven’t recovered.

Progress has been uneven. Asia has made significant strides, and Latin America has improved slightly. But in Western Asia and especially in Africa, hunger is rising. In Africa alone, more than one in five people—nearly 307 million—faced hunger this year.

The data on food insecurity—which includes those uncertain about where their next meal is coming from—is even more staggering. In 2024, 28 percent of the world’s population faced food insecurity. 828 million of them experienced severe food insecurity—going days without eating.

Even more alarming, 295 million people in 53 countries faced acute food insecurity—people who were either in crisis, emergency, or even famine conditions. That’s nearly 14 million more than the year before.

And in five regions—Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali—nearly 2 million people were in “Catastrophe” phase: on the edge of death from hunger. That’s the highest number ever recorded since such tracking began—and more than double from the previous year. In Sudan, famine is no longer a threat, it’s a present reality. In the Zamzam camp in North Darfur, famine was confirmed, and it has been detected or projected in multiple other regions. 

What’s driving this? One word: conflict.

Conflict destroys harvests, markets, supply chains, and homes. It displaces people and prevents humanitarian aid from reaching those who need it most. It turns food into a weapon and hunger into a tool of war.

The violence of armed conflict begets the violence of hunger.

Violence not only threatens lives and dignity—it erodes institutions, trust, and the social cohesion necessary for justice. Violence erodes the fabric of our society and prevents human flourishing. Peace is essential for human dignity. 

At Bread for the World, we believe that every human being—created in the image of God—has inherent dignity. That dignity includes the opportunity to live in right relationship with God, self, neighbor, and the environment. It includes the right to have enough nutritious food for good health. It includes the right to flourish.

That’s why we must feed souls as we work to feed people.

Today, I’m asking you to pray and to work for peace.

Because without peace, there is no food.

Without peace, there is no flourishing.

But with peace—true, just, lasting peace—we can rebuild what has been broken. We can reject violence. We can end hunger.

And we can honor the dignity of every single human being.

Amen.

The post The Violence of Hunger appeared first on Bread for the World.

By Anke Marais

Around the globe, food insecurity deepens tensions between displaced people and the communities that receive them. Not only do conflict and displacement cause hunger, as Bread for the World frequently mentions, but hunger is also a driver of conflict and displacement, in a vicious cycle that threatens human lives and human flourishing.  

These frictions rarely arise from cultural misunderstanding or social mistrust alone. Rather, the cause is usually tangible:  competition over resources that both hosts and displaced people rely on to survive. When access to food, water, shelter, or employment is already limited, even small pressures can push already strained communities toward conflict.

As of 2024, over 64 million people were internally displaced in 38 countries that were grappling with severe hunger crises. An additional 26 million people were refugees and asylum seekers who were hosted by countries that were struggling to meet their own food needs.

These numbers reveal how frequently displacement and food insecurity intersect. Often, refugees arrive with nothing in places where public systems are overburdened and local communities already face threats such as failing harvests.

Displaced people typically rely on humanitarian assistance, especially for food, since they are unable to access land to grow food and in many cases are not legally authorized to work. Local communities, meanwhile, may receive little support from government or aid organizations, despite the sudden arrival of many additional displaced people. Humanitarian assistance can improve conditions, but how the aid is distributed matters. There is a risk of creating additional problems if the distribution is seen as unequal by either the host or displaced communities.

Conflict is often intensified when displaced populations engage in small-scale survival activities that overlap or interfere with those of the hosts — for example, collecting firewood, harvesting grasses, or grazing animals. Such activities can be both necessary for survival, and an encroachment on the resources of a group that is also struggling to survive.

Problems may be exacerbated by weak governance and/or a history of marginalizing some groups. Both can reinforce longstanding grievances, potentially in ways that new arrivals may not anticipate.

Climate change is another complicating factor that can cause displacement. Regions that are already under the most environmental pressure are disproportionately at risk of further climate impacts and displacement. Drought, flooding, extreme heat, and soil depletion can reduce crop yields, eliminate pasture, and destabilize the seasonal rhythms that many communities use to plan their planting and harvest schedules. Climate shocks then act as a multiplier: intensifying food scarcity, inflaming competition, and undermining the conditions for shared resilience.

Groups that plan and carry out humanitarian assistance must navigate not only material scarcity, but the social narratives that surround it. The risk of conflict increases when aid is siloed, overly concentrated on one group, and/or lacks transparency and community involvement in its distribution. The following case studies capture some of these complex situations.

Case study 1: Uganda

Uganda is often praised for its refugee policies, including generous land allocations, access to schools, and integration into public services. It currently hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, with settlements like Bidibidi, Rhino Camp, and Palabek each housing tens of thousands of people. Yet, even in this relatively inclusive policy environment, tensions surface when resources run short. In regions of northern Uganda, disputes have erupted over access to firewood, grazing land, and water points. Women tasked with collecting wood from surrounding forests have reported harassment and attacks, particularly as nearby vegetation becomes depleted. Simultaneously, shifting rainfall patterns, longer dry spells, and unpredictable growing seasons have eroded food security for both refugees and local residents. While Uganda’s efforts at integration are notable, they are vulnerable to the growing strain of climate-linked resource scarcity.

Case study 2: Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Nearly one million people have fled to Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar area from neighboring Myanmar because of targeted violence against the Rohingya ethnic group. They live in crowded camps with few opportunities for self-sufficiency. Local Bangladeshi communities, already facing economic hardship, now compete for agricultural land, forest products, and informal work. The rapid expansion of the camps has led to large-scale deforestation, making the area more vulnerable to flooding and landslides. Both climate impacts and competition for land make it far more difficult for farmers to earn a living.

Some organizations in the Cox’s Bazar NGO Platform, whose members include dozens of national nonprofit groups as well as international and local groups, have introduced small-scale interventions such as home gardens and permaculture training. While these have improved food access for some refugee families, such programs remain underfunded and insufficient given the scale of need. When the World Food Programme was forced to cut food aid rations in 2023 due to donor shortfalls, tensions intensified. Many families resorted to risky coping strategies. The situation illustrates how food insecurity, when combined with climate vulnerability and limited livelihood options, can rapidly escalate into a volatile political and humanitarian scenario.

Ultimately, hunger can be both the cause and effect of displacement and conflict. It amplifies existing inequalities, aggravates perceptions of unfairness among host and displaced populations, and magnifies the pressure on already fragile systems. For many people on both sides, the struggle is not only for nourishment but for fairness, dignity, and a sustainable path forward. Preventing hunger from becoming a source of friction requires more than just food delivery. It calls for policies and programs that anticipate social dynamics, support both communities, and foster systems of shared resilience.

Anke Marais is a climate intern, Policy and Research Institute, with Bread for the World.

The post When Hunger Sparks Tension: How Food Insecurity Fuels Conflict appeared first on Bread for the World.

A primary cause of global hunger is armed conflict. Bread for the World’s Hunger Hotspots series draws attention to the many war-torn areas around the world where people have been driven to the brink of famine.

The eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one such place. Armed conflict has broken out sporadically for the past several decades. Fighting over the last two years has displaced millions of people—who, without access to their farms, have no way to produce food. According to UNICEF, at the start of 2025, fighting in the DRC “escalated to levels not seen in decades.”

The sheer numbers of people in desperate need of food and clean water may often leave humanitarian workers feeling discouraged, especially in sites for displaced persons. Local organizations recognize that it is vital to do everything possible to enable people to get back on their feet, even if their numbers are a small part of the total.

As Bread’s April 2025 piece, “Dire Straits in the DRC,” explains, Idjwi Island, situated in Lake Kivu between the two major cities of Goma and Bukavu, is a longtime sanctuary from violence. The Congo Peace Academy, led by Bienfait Mugenza, began its Agri Peace Program here.

It enables the planting not only of crops, but even more powerful intangibles: peace, purpose, and the promise of renewal.

As a speaker at Bread’s March 2025 Hunger Hotspots briefing at the Nutrition for Growth Summit, Mugenza offered an analysis of the larger context of eastern DRC and described his group’s work.

In a follow-up letter to Bread for the World, he writes:

“This year, the Peace Academy is proud to expand its Agri Peace Program—already a catalyst for transformation on Idjwi Island—to the communities of Minova and Sake. These areas have become refuge for thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs), families forced to flee their homes by relentless conflict and the advance (sic) of armed groups. For those returning to devastated villages with nothing but hope, the road to recovery can feel impossible. But with the right tools, practical training, and the restoration of trust, we can help turn despair into resilience — and rebuild not just livelihoods, but lives.

“Our approach integrates conservation agriculture, peace education, and economic empowerment. It is anchored in the Foundation for Farming (FFF) methodology, a faith-driven, climate-smart farming model that restores degraded soils and enables farmers to produce more with less.

“The goal is simple but profound: equip those affected by war to feed themselves and their neighbors while healing the wounds that violence leaves behind.

“The Peace Academy’s 14 experienced trainers are poised to train 480 ‘champion farmers’—displaced individuals, including women and youth—who will return to their home villages and pass on what they’ve learned to others. These champion farmers become catalysts of transformation, rebuilding not only food systems but fractured community bonds.

“Each participant in the Agri Peace Program receives hands-on instruction in conservation agriculture techniques (which include no tilling as well as mulching, proper spacing, and composting); small-scale irrigation and water management; organic pest control and soil restoration; trauma healing, reconciliation, and nonviolent communication; and financial literacy and cooperative savings models.

“Through this initiative, we seek to position farming not only as a driver of food security and economic resilience, but also as a powerful platform for promoting social cohesion and building sustainable peace.

“We have seen this work. On Idjwi Island, FFF-trained farmers have tripled their yields. Communities once dependent on food aid are now selling surplus in local markets and using proceeds to send children to school. These are not isolated miracles—they are replicable solutions. And now, as thousands of IDPs return home from overcrowded camps, they are asking for the same tools to rebuild their lives.

“The project will be implemented over a six-month period, during which 14 full-time trainers will receive monthly stipends and be provided with essential materials, including hoes, watering cans, seeds, tarpaulins, boots, and training manuals. Upon completion of their training and certification, the 480 champion farmers will transition into trainers themselves, equipped with the skills, tools, and resources necessary to replicate the training within their communities and establish demonstration plots.”

JoAnn C. Sparacino, a retired U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Foreign Service Officer, has seen Congo Peace Academy’s work up close, particularly during the two years she lived in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province. Sparacino said, “I can attest to the impactful and courageous work of the Congo Peace Academy, led by Bienfait Mugenza, in Goma and on the island of Idjwi where [Mugenza] is from.” She is working to secure support for the efforts of the Congo Peace Academy and other civil society groups to help people displaced by conflict resume their lives. She asks for support for the Congo Peace Academy as it expands its work to serve nearby communities.

Bienfait Mugenza is the founder and director of the Congo Peace Academy and winner of the $50,000 2024 Projects for Peace Alumni Award. Michele Learner is managing editor, Policy and Research Institute, with Bread for the World.

The post Hunger Hotspots: From War Zones to Fields of Hope in the DRC appeared first on Bread for the World.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a large country located in the center of Africa. Despite abundant natural resources such as gold and cobalt, DRC is among the world’s poorest and least developed countries. This is due to complex and interconnected factors that include armed conflict, weak governance, climate shocks, challenges to investing in key sectors such as health and education, and corruption. 

Armed conflict has broken out sporadically in eastern DRC for the past several decades. The fighting has displaced millions of people, particularly in the states of North Kivu and South Kivu. In 2024, an estimated 2.9 million people were living on the verge of famine and 6.5 million people were displaced in eastern Congo. 

The situation has only worsened in 2025. UNICEF reports that fighting intensified to a level not seen in years, and combatants have deliberately attacked civilian targets, such as displacement camps, hospitals, and schools.

Idjwi Island, situated in Lake Kivu between the two major cities of Goma and Bukavu, has long been a sanctuary of last resort from violence. During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, for example, the island’s population surged by 41 percent with the arrival of an estimated 46,000 Rwandan refugees. 

Idjwi’s role as a refuge has continued into the present. Since late January 2025, more than 100,000 people have fled to the island to escape intensified fighting in the region. But the island has very limited resources, and as of late February 2025, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 10,000 displaced individuals have already returned to mainland villages in search of food. 

Idjwi Island is a microcosm of the desperate conditions in eastern DRC. Of those who return to their hometowns, 44 percent find their fields occupied by armed groups, while 10 percent find their homes occupied. Lack of access to farmland and shelter worsens the already desperate conditions. 

The fighting, primarily between the Congolese armed forces and the armed faction M23, the March 23 Movement also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, continues to escalate at this writing. Recent assessments indicate that three-quarters of displaced people in Goma have an inadequate diet, with 80 percent indicating a loss of food supplies due to the conflict.

The convergence of violence, hunger, and displacement has been further worsened by recent reductions in international humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian workers are reeling from the effects of the USAID funding cuts, particularly since it had been the largest humanitarian donor in the region. 

In mid-February 2025, Oxfam warned that nearly half a million people were left without food, water, and shelter after the destruction of displacement sites in Goma. A recent analysis found that conflict has driven prices up—anywhere from 18 percent to 160 percent—on food items such as flour, beans, and oil. Since the M23 takeover of Goma, poor food consumption has surged from 13 percent to 71 percent of the population. From the beginning of 2024 until halting support in February 2025, the U.S. provided 88 percent of all food assistance. This assistance, worth about $580 million, was 60 percent of the total U.S. humanitarian aid to the DRC. 

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), an estimated 4.5 million children face acute malnutrition in the DRC. Humanitarian aid partners estimated that more than 70 sites, where tens of thousands of malnourished children are screened and treated, are being shuttered, along with 92 health facilities. Concurrently, aid agencies estimate that more than 500 million metric tons of U.S. food commodities, from American farmers and manufacturers, are stuck in various locations and not being distributed. 

Without security or the ability to distribute food, WFP reported that a warehouse containing 7,000 tons of supplies has been looted. The escalating violence has also further disrupted key supply routes, hindering the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance. 

Around the world, the amount of food from American farmers and manufacturers that is being wasted is staggering. Uncertainty about long-term funding exposes people to additional vulnerability. 

The DRC, particularly its eastern region, stands at a critical juncture. With millions suffering from acute malnutrition, more humanitarian assistance is urgently needed, as is an end to the fighting.

Anke Marais is a climate intern, Policy and Research Institute, with Bread for the World. 

The post Hunger Hotspots: Dire Straits in the DRC appeared first on Bread for the World.

“Bread for the World is thankful for the agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas that will, in part, allow for more food assistance to enter Gaza.

“Since almost the beginning of the conflict nearly the entire population of Gaza, 2.2 million people, has been in the throes of a devastating hunger crisis with many facing severe malnutrition and, in northern Gaza, even famine. Gaza currently has the highest rates of child malnutrition globally. We urge the parties involved to take immediate steps to ensure that food aid and other humanitarian assistance can safely and expeditiously reach all who need it.

“While we wholeheartedly welcome this temporary ceasefire and the respite it provides, this is only the beginning. Bread is hopeful that all parties can reach a permanent agreement to end the suffering so many have endured for far too long.

“Bread will continue to pray for the release of all hostages, for a lasting cease-fire, for an end to the hunger crisis, and for peace to reign in the region.

“’Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.’ 2 Thessalonians 3:16.”

###

Bread for the World is a Christian advocacy organization urging U.S. decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger

The post Bread for the World Statement on the Gaza Ceasefire Agreement appeared first on Bread for the World.

Bread for the World’s Hunger Hotspots project brings attention to the need for action on current global hunger emergencies. Bread members advocate for humanitarian assistance that saves lives, especially among children under 5.  Ensuring that the right nutrients are available at the right time also prevents lifelong damage to the health and development of the youngest survivors of hunger emergencies—babies and toddlers.  

South Sudan only became an independent country, separating from Sudan, in 2011, but by 2013, a brutal civil war had broken out.  A report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) noted that when a peace treaty was signed in 2018, one study found that nearly 400,000 people had died as a result of the war in a country of 11.5 million people.. 

The situation continues to deteriorate because the peace treaty did not definitively end the war. The main signatories have largely adhered to a ceasefire since the agreement went into effect. But many of the combatants are not parties to the agreement. The ongoing fighting, fueled by regional disputes and political rivalries, includes an insurgency in the southern part of the country.

Commissioner Afako’s statement and the CRS report were both published in the second half of 2022. The situation has since become worse still because of the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023. As Bread has explained, the war has created humanitarian emergencies in Sudan and in several neighboring countries as well, particularly the landlocked nations of South Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic (CAR).

In the most recent hunger hotspots update from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), humanitarian officials designated five countries as “of highest concern” for the period June 2024 through October 2024. 

Both South Sudan and Sudan are among them. The others are Gaza, Haiti, and Mali. It is a stark indicator of the growing severity of the global hunger crisis-that people face famine conditions in all five countries. Famine has a specific definition: a situation of extreme lack of food and exhaustion of people’s coping capacities that leads to starvation, acute malnutrition, and death.  

According to UNICEF, an estimated 9 million people need humanitarian assistance. Famine is affecting people in South Sudan’s Pibor and Aweil East counties. The number of refugees in South Sudan, most of whom have fled the war in Sudan, continues to grow, with 447, 000 refugees projected to arrive by the end of 2024. Added to these numbers are an estimated 820,000 South Sudanese who are expected to return home. 

WFP and FAO identify the main drivers of hunger in South Sudan as conflict, flooding, and inflation. Bread consistently focuses on these key factors, including most recently in policy listening and learning sessions for our new campaign, Nourish Our Future. South Sudan has recently been ranked the second most susceptible nation to the effects of natural hazards, which include drought, flooding, and heat waves. The country is bracing for what is projected to be the worst flooding in 60 years. Inflation, including surges in the prices of basic staple foods, has soared since the war in Sudan began. South Sudan is landlocked and depends on access to Sudan’s port to import and export goods. 

The Humanitarian Response Plan developed by U.N. agencies calls for reaching 5.9 million people with humanitarian support—for example, food vouchers and cash transfers so that people can buy food. Another form of support is emergency livelihood support kits, particularly for women and other vulnerable communities. These are kits with supplies that enable people to produce more food—for example, kits for staple crops, vegetables, or fishing. Another important form of support is bolstering the health of livestock through vaccination campaigns and veterinary treatment.   

Bread’s recent work on Hunger Hotspots includes a panel discussion, “Building Resilience in Global Hunger Hotspots: The Cases of Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti.” We will continue to lift up the urgent need to take action to save lives in global Hunger Hotspots.

Michele Learner is managing editor, Policy and Research Institute, with Bread for the World.

The post Hunger Hotspots: South Sudan  appeared first on Bread for the World.

Over 330 million people faced acute food insecurity in 2023, according to the United Nations, and according to World Food Program USA, eight in 10 of the world’s worst food crises are driven by war and persecution.

Places like Sudan, Haiti, and Gaza are in dire need of urgent humanitarian assistance to address acute food insecurity from war, violence, and political turmoil. But they’re not the only ones experiencing such strife; according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), which ranks violent conflict levels around the world, 50 countries rank as having extreme, high, or turbulent levels of conflict.

By 2030, an estimated 59% of the people  experiencing extreme poverty globally will be in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence, according to the World Bank. 

At Bread, our mission to end hunger is driven by faith, integrity, and a commitment to justice. We urge U.S. decision makers to do all they can to achieve equitable systems and policies, not just in the United States but around the world. Ending conflict-driven hunger is a complex task that requires commitment at the highest levels of government, in collaboration with international financial institutions, nonprofits, and communities of faith around the world. 

How does conflict impact hunger? 

Violent conflicts occur when organized groups or institutions, sometimes including the state, use violence to settle grievances or assert power. 

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization’s and World Food Program’s November 2023 to April 2024 outlook (citing ACLED), global levels of violent incidents remained at high levels between June and September 2023. Organized violence, armed conflict, and insecurity continue to constitute significant drivers of acute food insecurity in the following hunger hotspots: Chad, Burkina Faso and Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Niger, Palestine, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan, and Yemen – and the list continues to grow.

Conflict causes hunger in several ways. For the majority of people in low-income countries, agriculture is the primary way that they feed themselves and maintain a source of income; conflict can destroy land and valuable agriculture. It can disrupt roads, railways, and air transport, meaning it becomes difficult to move food from place to place. It also displaces people from their homes and jobs, leaving them without a way to feed their families. 

Conflict is also particularly dangerous to food security because war and violence can prevent outside humanitarian assistance from reaching the most vulnerable populations. And it is increasingly common for armed groups to use hunger as a weapon of war, deliberately cutting communities off from food sources. People become trapped, and hunger, malnutrition, and illness soar.

Who is most affected by conflict?

Women and children are most affected by conflict-driven hunger. And nearly 60 percent of those facing severe hunger are women and girls. Oftentimes, when there is limited food available, women eat last and least.

Additionally, women and children are more likely to be displaced, making up 80 percent of the refugees worldwide. Many of these children will never return to their homes and can be separated from their families while traveling, putting them at an increased risk of violence, abuse, trafficking, and military recruitment. 

Conflict and Hunger: Gaza

Women and children are especially vulnerable in Gaza. According to The Washington Post, as of April 2024, more than 90 percent of young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza are subsisting on two or fewer food groups per day. 

The Gaza Strip borders the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel, and is a little more than twice the size of Washington, D.C. It has a population of 2.2 million people. Conflict in Gaza escalated in October 2023 when Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israeli citizens, and Israel responded with an ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip with the stated goal of destroying Hamas.

In 2024, Gaza has become “a fight of bread versus bombs,” as InterAction president and former Bread board member Tom Hart put it in an April 2024 op-ed. According to the United Nations, of the 700,000 hungriest people in the world, four in five live in Gaza. One in three children under the age of 2 in northern Gaza is suffering from severe malnutrition – the highest level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world.

Famine is now happening in parts of Gaza, as United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power has acknowledged. 

Very few aid workers and food convoys have been able to reach residents amid the violence. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March that during a recent visit, he saw 2,500 aid trucks held up outside the gates, awaiting clearance to bring supplies into Gaza.

The United States has taken steps to provide food assistance, such as air drops of aid in early March, and has built a floating maritime pier off the coast. But, to provide true relief, there is a need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and sustained access to humanitarian aid, including restoration of food delivery, cross-border water pipelines, and resumption of electricity distribution.

Conflict and Hunger: Sudan

The United Nations warned in March 2024 that the war in Sudan is “triggering the world’s largest hunger crisis.” More than 20 million people are facing acute food insecurity in Sudan, a number that’s nearly doubled since last year. More than 10 million have been displaced from their homes (inside and outside the country) since mid-April 2023. Nine in 10 people across the country, which is located in Northeast Africa, face “emergency levels of hunger.” 

In April 2023, fighting broke out between the forces of two rival generals – army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF), and the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Since then, there have been reports of mass killings, indiscriminate targeting of civilians, and sexual violence, and humanitarian access has been limited. 

Those regions most severely impacted include Khartoum, South and West Kordofan, as well as Central, East, South, and West Darfur. Without a resolution or assistance, families and refugees are at risk of starving to death. 

Conflict and Hunger: Haiti 

With a population of 11 million people, Haiti is located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean – about 700 miles from Miami, Florida. Violence by armed gangs throughout the country has skyrocketed since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July 2021. Then, in early March 2024, gangs attacked two of Haiti’s largest prisons, resulting in the escape of almost 4,000 prisoners. On March 12, 2024, Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his plan to resign.

As of April 2024, nearly five million people are facing extreme hunger – including more than 1.6 million people on the brink of starvation. Over 300,000 Haitians have fled their homes, and in the Artibonite department, armed groups have blocked farmers from delivering their produce to the market. 

The international community is struggling to reach people affected by the conflict, especially as armed gangs attempted to seize control of Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport in March. In addition, numerous schools have remained closed, which has resulted in more than 300,000 students being unable to access school feeding programs.

Restoration of a democratic government is critical for peace and stability for the Haitian people.

What does global hunger have to do with national security? 

Access to food and national security are tightly connected. Security is only possible when communities have the resources they need to survive. 

Alleviating hunger by addressing conflict and stabilizing individual and community livelihoods means that people are less likely to need to leave their homes, resort to criminal activity, or fall prey to radicalized groups. 

What can the U.S. government do to break the cycle of conflict and hunger? 

The United States is in an important position of influence and possesses resources that can help resolve conflict and hunger around the world.

In April 2024, the Senate passed a $95 billion national security supplemental package. This package allocated more than $9 billion for humanitarian aid, aimed at delivering crucial necessities such as food, water, shelter, medical care, and other essential services to civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, Ukraine, and other conflict-affected regions worldwide. This package will help improve the lives of those who are most vulnerable around the world.

The Global Fragility Act (GFA) was passed in 2019 to reform the way the U.S. government conducts conflict prevention and stabilization operations. The GFA was designed as a 10-year effort. Bread urges U.S. leaders to implement the Global Fragility Act and increase the number of countries covered by this Act, such as Sudan, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  

We urge our nation’s leaders to follow these principles to prevent and respond to the conflicts and fragility that are contributing to so much of the hunger around the world:

1. Invest in the capacity of communities to solve problems. 

Because prevention is less costly – in human life and suffering, in money, in time – than responding to events that have already happened, it is more effective to focus on building resilience and addressing the root causes of shocks, including hunger, poverty, and violence. Foreign assistance should work in concert with diplomatic strategies to foster equitable policies, peace building, and adaptation to climate change. 

2. Partner with other governments, multilateral institutions, and civil society in fragile countries to meet the basic needs of people and build strong institutions. 

No single actor can manage the complexity of strengthening fragile countries. Inclusive, coordinated approaches building on the experience and interest of all stakeholders are more likely to succeed. Community-driven approaches, such as support for local faith institutions, schools, or clinics, have worked well in many fragile or conflict zones. U.S. efforts should focus on strengthening local institutional capacity. 

3. Build human and institutional capacity to reduce human suffering.

Scarce resources should be applied in the areas where they matter most to address the needs of the most vulnerable populations – most often women, children, and indigenous communities that have been systematically oppressed. In addition, strengthening local civil society and governance institutions can build capacity to support communities and minimize scarcity and suffering. This can include investing in agricultural infrastructure to boost food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and economic productivity, and expanding access to healthcare and education, especially among disadvantaged groups.

4. Fully fund U.N. humanitarian appeals. 

The U.N. is the main coordinator of humanitarian response around the world, but its humanitarian operations are chronically underfunded. Funding for humanitarian needs should include resources to support neighboring countries that host refugees. This is key to protecting countries and even entire regions from destabilization.

5. Provide food assistance quickly and efficiently by increasing the flexibility of U.S. food assistance programs and efforts to facilitate humanitarian access to these populations. 

Where food is available and markets are functioning, locally purchased food along with cash vouchers help people get food quickly, avoid disrupting local markets, and save money by reducing shipping costs. Supporting agricultural production, delivery of basic services, stronger infrastructure, and job skills are critical investments to help people get the right nutrition at the right time. 

6. Engage in high-level diplomacy to bring opposing parties together, starting with regional peace processes where possible. 

In communities where conflict is causing hunger, peace is often the only way to avert hunger crises. The United States often holds influence in conflict-affected regions and can support peace processes. Preference should be given to local or regional solutions to strengthen the capacity of local and regional actors and ensure a durable, lasting peace. 

7. Withdraw U.S. military, intelligence, and security support for actors whose actions cut off access to basic needs such as food, medicine, and safe drinking water.

U.S. assistance, including support for development, humanitarian, and military or security support (such as arms sales), should help civilians meet their basic needs. U.S. assistance should not support actions that hinder the well-being of civilian populations. 

8. Impose penalties on companies, networks, and officials involved in corruption and crimes in conflict-affected states. 

Corrupt actors often purchase weapons, sometimes intended for use against civilians. Penalties for such behavior can deter others from taking similar actions. Responsible engagement imposes those penalties, allowing  fragile countries to rebuild and thrive. 

9. Bridge humanitarian and development assistance.

Humanitarian aid alone cannot end conflict, nor can it fully respond to the devastating impacts of fragility on individuals, their livelihoods, and national economies. Integrating development efforts into emergency assistance can reduce the risk of recurring crises. 

10. Develop long-term and comprehensive strategies of partnership with fragile countries.

All efforts to address humanitarian and development goals should also strengthen the capacity of local systems and institutions, including safety-net programs and governance structures. It takes time to achieve meaningful outcomes. Efforts to sustain peace after conflict, in particular, require long-term approaches.

What is the role of international financial institutions in achieving food security? 

We usually think of U.S. development assistance as funding that the United States sends directly to another country. But the United States is also a member of several international financial institutions, usually called IFIs, which can have a profound impact on global hunger. IFIs are important because they are the largest source of international development finance for many countries. 

IFIs include, among others, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The United States and other donors invest funds in these institutions that are then pooled and made available to low- and middle-income countries in the form of grants or low-interest loans, such as through the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).

When large-scale violence breaks out, the International Monetary Fund notes that “IFIs should remain engaged to prevent the collapse of the state and reduce the economic consequences of conflict. Such institutions can support basic services for the most vulnerable and deploy low-level technical capacity development to keep central banks and payment systems functioning.” 

But IFIs also play an important role in policy. “Any policy an IFI enacts in countries marked by conflict and atrocities will send a message about the institution’s level of tolerance for or abhorrence of humanitarian law violations,” says the United States Institute of Peace. 

What is Bread for the World doing to address hunger caused by conflict? 

Bread members have been leading advocates for robust humanitarian food and nutrition assistance to regions of conflict. Bread has developed a set of guiding principles for hunger advocacy in conflict situations. The principles focus on preventing conflict, providing effective humanitarian responses during conflicts, and engaging in constructive ways to help post-conflict countries rebuild and recover.

Bread is also a member of InterAction, the leading alliance of NGOs and partners in the United States who are serving the world’s most impoverished and vulnerable populations. InterAction monitors and supports its members who respond to global crises, including natural disasters, armed conflicts, man-made famines, and other complex emergencies.

In addition, Bread has advocated for International Development Association (IDA) funding through the World Bank, enabling 75 nations grappling with high rates of hunger and malnutrition to address the humanitarian and developmental requirements of their populations.

Conclusion

It is incumbent upon the United States to do everything in its power, including providing humanitarian assistance, engaging in diplomacy, and putting in place economic policies that will avert the further deepening of the global hunger crisis. As Proverbs 3:27 states, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it” (ESV). 

International efforts should focus on seeking a diplomatic resolution to conflict as well as providing immediate assistance. Individuals and communities around the world can be powerful advocates for change – as well as powerful agents of prayer for those impacted by conflict and hunger. 

The post Hunger and Conflict appeared first on Bread for the World.

“We need food,” is the first thing Gazans say upon meeting James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, the U.N. children’s agency. 

“[Gazans] are saying that because their assumption is the world doesn’t know, because how would this be allowed to happen if the world knew?” Elder said in an interview.

In the seven months ending April 5, 2024, more than 33,000 people had been killed, including 14,500 children. The deaths are the result of an ongoing Israeli military attack that began in response to an attack on Israel by Hamas. On October 7, 2023, members of Hamas crossed the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel, killed hundreds of Israeli civilians, and abducted more than 230 people. 

“The number of children reported killed in just over 4 months in Gaza is higher than the number of children killed in 4 years of wars [elsewhere in] the world combined. This war is a war on children. It is a war on their childhood and their future.” Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General, U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees 

Several months later, the entire population of the Gaza Strip, 2.23 million people, are living on the verge of famine. Conditions for many are expected to deteriorate even further. By mid-July 2024, half of the population (1.11 million people) will face catastrophic conditions, the most severe level of food insecurity, “in the most likely scenario and under the assumption of an escalation of the conflict, including a ground offensive in Rafah,” according to an analysis by food security experts. 

 More than 50,000 children are believed to be suffering from acute malnutrition, a condition that is frequently fatal if not promptly treated, and 73,000 injuries have been reported.  Yet, only 10 of 36 main hospitals are “functioning to some extent,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Hunger and disease are a deadly combination,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. “Hungry, weakened, and deeply traumatized children are more likely to get sick, and children who are sick, especially with diarrhea, cannot absorb nutrients well. It’s dangerous, and tragic, and happening before our eyes.”

“I feel like my children will die in front of my eyes. What can I say? I don’t know what I am to do. I can feel them dying before my eyes. This is my daughter. It’s been five days she is without food or drink. I don’t know what to do for her.” Khuloud al-Masri, Gazan mother of two.

Extremely limited humanitarian access to border crossings and within the Gaza Strip continues to impede the provision of urgently needed assistance. Humanitarian workers, both Gazans and citizens of many other countries, continue to do their best to deliver food to desperate people. But their jobs are incredibly dangerous: as of April 11, 2024, according to the United Nations, a total of 203 aid workers have been killed in Gaza, including seven workers from the U.S.-headquartered World Central Kitchen. All warring parties should change course to respect the neutrality of humanitarian workers and work to coordinate their safe passage.

The vast majority of Gazans, about 85 percent, have been forced to flee their homes. These 1.9 million displaced people are largely without shelter, because more than 70 percent of all buildings in the north, and half of all buildings in the whole country, have been either damaged or destroyed. 

The scale of destruction is almost unimaginable. This is why the International Crisis Group reported last month that famine cannot be prevented solely by providing food, because so much of the infrastructure needed for basic services like clean water and sanitation has been destroyed. Johns Hopkins University’s projections suggest that even in the most optimistic ceasefire scenario, thousands of “excess” deaths are inevitable.

Top priorities—that can nonetheless only begin after a lasting ceasefire is in effect—include restoring the infrastructure needed for clean water and sanitation; building temporary shelters so that people are protected during the longer process of rebuilding homes and schools; rebuilding and reopening hospitals and clinics; and reestablishing the capacity to provide basic health care and treat malnutrition. 

This daunting list of even the most urgent tasks points to both the importance of funding UNRWA, an agency with the experience and local knowledge to provide effective assistance, and the need for other humanitarian assistance programs to continue to do all they possibly can. Every hour and every day are critical to a human being.

Humanitarian action is guided by four principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. Humanitarians are committed to alleviating human suffering, protecting life and health, ensuring respect for human beings wherever they live, and prioritizing the most urgent cases without discrimination.

International humanitarian law strictly prohibits using starvation as a weapon of war. People who are living in a territory under occupation have additional rights. Specifically, humanitarian law holds the occupying authorities responsible for ensuring sufficient civilian access to food and essential medical care. If there are shortages, the occupying authorities are required to import supplies or authorize relief efforts. 

Bread for the World is calling for diplomatic efforts towards a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the allocation of sufficient humanitarian assistance, the access needed to deliver assistance, and safety and security for aid workers.

Syeda Lamia Hossain is a global hunger fellow, Policy and Research Institute, with Bread for the World.

The post A Manmade Famine in Gaza appeared first on Bread for the World.

Similar to today’s hunger hotspots involving Sudan, Haiti and Gaza, people protested against barriers to humanitarian access to food.

“Barriers to humanitarian access” is a phrase we are becoming increasingly familiar with. Globally in the late 1960s, during the Nigerian civil war, people protested the policies and actions that prevented humanitarian access. Today’s hunger hotspots—Sudan, Haiti, Gaza, and others—commonly include dangerous “barriers” as well. 

The outcome of the war between the Republic of Biafra and Nigeria was that 2 million lives were lost due to the weaponization of food – blockades which prevented humanitarian assistance from reaching people in time. During this manmade famine, people also died from disease, worsened by malnutrition, lack of basic health care, and most likely loss and grief as well. 

According to a U.S. government official who was working to coordinate humanitarian access to Biafra during the war, “It was clear to me that the volume of food alone that was required was far beyond any logistical arrangement that would be feasible without a cease-fire and direct access to the Biafran area….” In the archives of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a staff member was quoted as saying, “Only a cease-fire will halt the starvation of an estimated 5 to 6 million in Biafra.”

The Nigerian civil war’s tragic outcomes are warning signs for many of the conflicts we grapple with today, when the number of lives lost due to lack of access to food remains on the increase. In the world’s reaction to this dire humanitarian crisis, we recognize the common stages of human reaction to tragedy, ranging from numbed inaction to proactive efforts to do better. 

Through Bread for the World’s Hunger Hotspot Briefing series, we have been taking proactive action, bearing witness, and advocating for humanitarian policy measures that can save lives and avert human suffering in today’s hunger hotspots. We convene frontline humanitarian workers, who put their lives at risk to prevent the loss of others’ lives. They highlight, in their own words, the challenges and the solutions that are urgently needed. It is a legal and moral humanitarian imperative to provide expedited assistance to communities and countries facing hunger. We provide a platform for humanitarian organizations to discuss their work in context and the implications of positive policies, harmful actions, and inaction.  

For the period ending April 30, 2024, the Hunger Hotspots report published by the World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organization identified 18 hunger “hotspots” in a total of 22 countries. The countries on the list were all expected to face significant deteriorations in food security. The report delineates how intersecting causes such as conflict, climate impacts, and economic inequality put the livelihoods and well-being of communities in peril. These factors continue to drive the existing high levels of acute food insecurity even higher.

The most recent report also paints a fuller picture of what we already see on the news. The countries at the highest level of concern are Sudan, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Mali, South Sudan, and Palestine. Without full humanitarian access, experts say millions of people in all the “highest level of concern” countries will face famine-like conditions.

History, particularly the history of the Nigerian civil war, tells us that the only viable option that will save lives is a durable ceasefire that allows people to return to dignified lives that include access to sufficient nutritious food.

Humanitarian access is an important concept under international humanitarian law. Access to allow aid workers to bring in essential humanitarian supplies is formally negotiated. Pursuant to U.N. General Assembly resolutions, the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator arranges for organizations to access people in crisis-affected areas, providing emergency assistance such as food, water, health care, and shelter. 

Humanitarian assistance must be provided in accordance with the legal principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. Compliance with these principles helps humanitarians gain trust and acceptance, which, in turn, helps them negotiate with state and non-state entities to reach people in need. This basic principle of humanitarian access was not faithfully implemented during the 1967 civil war between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra.

The questions remain: Who should have been a more prominent voice in the public discourse on the importance of humanitarian access to Biafra? Were these voices loud enough and courageous enough to save lives? What voices are needed to help prevent tragedy on such a scale from being repeated in hunger hotspots around the world?  

Abiola Afolayan is co-director, Policy and Research Institute, with Bread for the World.

The post Could Humanitarian Access Have Saved Millions of Lives During the Nigerian Civil War? appeared first on Bread for the World.

The following statement can be attributed to Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World: 

“Bread for the World thanks Republican and Democratic leadership in both chambers of Congress for working together to secure this much-needed emergency humanitarian assistance. This assistance will provide food, nutrition, shelter, water, medical supplies, and other critical relief to tens of millions of people who live in the multiple countries and regions on the verge of, or are now experiencing, severe malnutrition and famine. Without this emergency humanitarian assistance millions of people, especially children, would be at risk of dying.

“The world is witnessing the worst hunger and famine crisis in a generation. In Sudan alone nearly 18 million people, one-third of the population, face emergency food insecurity. In Gaza, 70 percent of the population is experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger. Famine is likely already occurring in northern Gaza.

“We now urge the administration to do everything they can to ensure the humanitarian assistance is able to immediately and effectively reach all who need it.

“Bread for the World advocates have tirelessly urged their members of Congress to support this emergency humanitarian assistance. Bread staff have been raising awareness about the needs of people in hunger hotspots through meetings with members of Congress as well as through briefings with congressional staffers, anti-hunger advocates, partner organizations, on-the-ground implementers, and other stakeholders where information was provided about, and aid workers shared their experiences in, countries that this assistance will help.”

Additional resources from Bread for the World:

• Bread’s Response to Hunger Hotspots in Gaza and Around the World
• Hunger Hotspots: War in Sudan Means Millions of Malnourished Children
• Bread Statement on Humanitarian Aid in FY 2024 ‘Minibus’

The post Bread Thanks Congressional Leadership for Passage of Emergency Humanitarian Aid appeared first on Bread for the World.

The following statement can be attributed to Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World: 

“The world is in the midst of the worst hunger and famine crisis of our time. Tens of millions of people who live in hunger hotspots in multiple countries and regions are on the verge of, or are now experiencing, severe malnutrition and famine. In most cases, these crises are driven by conflict. For example, in Sudan alone nearly 18 million people, one-third of the population, face emergency food insecurity. In Gaza. 70 percent of the population is experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger, and in northern Gaza famine is likely already occurring.

“The emergency humanitarian assistance included in this legislation will provide food, shelter, water, medical supplies, and other critical relief. Without this emergency humanitarian assistance, millions of people, especially children, would be at risk of dying. With the lives of so many people at stake, we must also ensure the humanitarian assistance is able to immediately and effectively reach all who need it.

“Bread for the World advocates have tirelessly urged their members of Congress to support this emergency humanitarian assistance. Bread staff have been raising awareness about the needs of people in hunger hotspots through meetings with members of Congress as well as through briefings with congressional staffers, anti-hunger advocates, partner organizations, on-the-ground implementers, and other stakeholders where information was provided about, and aid workers shared their experiences in, countries that this assistance will help.

“Bread thanks Speaker Johnson for including the critical funding in the House foreign aid bills and all House members who voted to support it. We now urge the Senate to quickly pass the legislation.”

Additional resources from Bread for the World:

• Bread’s Response to Hunger Hotspots in Gaza and Around the World
• Bread Urges Congress to Pass Supplemental Humanitarian Aid Request
• Hunger Hotspots: War in Sudan Means Millions of Malnourished Children

The post Bread Welcomes Passage of Emergency Humanitarian Aid appeared first on Bread for the World.

In 2022, Bread for the World launched its Hunger Hotspots initiative with the goal of improving advocacy for the hundreds of millions of people trapped in the ongoing global hunger crisis.  The Hunger Hotspots initiative explores the main causes of hunger emergencies and offers briefings that enable people in the United States to hear directly from front line workers providing emergency and development assistance. One of this year’s briefings will focus on Sudan.  

The sudden outbreak of conflict in Sudan on April 15, 2023, immediately made the country’s already dire humanitarian situation worse. The hostilities started in the capital city of Khartoum, which meant that both sides—led by men who had been allies just days before—were using heavy explosive weapons in densely populated areas. Urban warfare is catastrophic for civilians.

Millions of Sudanese had already been confronting hunger and malnutrition at the time the war began. Now the numbers are far larger. Sudan is among five “countries of highest concern” in the most recent update from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), meaning that severe aggravating factors are causing the situation to deteriorate toward potential famine. The report, for the period November 2023 through April 2024, indicates that about 18 million people are living with acute food insecurity, and an estimated 3.8 million children under 5 are malnourished. 

About 8 million people have been displaced since the war began. Most people have fled to camps for displaced people and refugees, while many of those who had been in Sudan as refugees from South Sudan fled the fighting to return home. Sudan’s seven neighboring countries are already struggling with hunger, malnutrition, and large numbers of refugees, so the war poses additional hardships to the entire region. Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan host the largest number of Sudanese refugees.

The number of young children suffering from life-threatening malnutrition has increased sharply in the 10 months since the war started. Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières–MSF, from its French acronym) is the only healthcare provider in Zamzam camp in Sudan’s North Darfur state. At least 300,000 people displaced by the fighting from surrounding communities have gathered there to escape the violence. 

An MSF assessment in January 2024 found an alarming rate of acute malnutrition among children ages 6 months to 2 years –almost 40 percent. Approximately 15 percent suffered from Severe Acute Malnutrition, and about 40 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women were malnourished. MSF warned that a devastating number of children are dying from malnutrition. 

“What we are seeing in Zamzam camp is an absolutely catastrophic situation,” said Claire Nicolet, head of MSF’s emergency response in Sudan. “Our current estimate is that there are around 13 child deaths each day. Those with severe malnutrition … are at high risk of dying within three to six weeks if they do not get treatment.”

In Zamzam camp and elsewhere, women, girls, and young children are bearing the brunt of the suffering imposed on noncombatants. UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) staff at the border between Sudan and Chad, for example, reported that an estimated 90 percent of arriving refugees are women and children. Since the war began, gender-based violence has increased significantly. Advocates for victims say that widespread gender-based violence is part of an even bigger problem—the complete breakdown of protections for civilians since the outbreak of conflict. 

This is a problem that deserves more attention, especially as the world celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8, and Bread plans to revisit the topic in a later piece. This year’s theme for International Women’s Day was “Inspire Inclusion.” It emphasized recognizing and sharing with others the value of fully including, in all parts of society, women and girls from all walks of life. Marginalization based on gender is the polar opposite of inclusion. The whole world can see its devastating consequences in places like Sudan.  

Urgent humanitarian aid is crucial. But WFP reported in February 2024 that it faces an alarming funding shortfall of nearly $300 million for the upcoming six months. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has requested $2.7 billion to deliver essential humanitarian assistance to 14.7 million people in Sudan in 2024. As of February 23, 2024, the appeal was only 3.5 percent funded.

It was a step forward when, in February 2024, the Senate passed an emergency supplemental funding bill that would provide $9 billion for people overseas who need humanitarian assistance. But at this writing, the House has yet to approve supplemental funding, despite the reality that it is urgently needed to save millions of lives around the world. 

Syeda Lamia Hossain is a global hunger fellow, Policy and Research Institute, with Bread for the World. 

The post Hunger Hotspots: War in Sudan Means Millions of Malnourished Children  appeared first on Bread for the World.

“Bread for the World is heartbroken by the deaths of more than 100 people in Gaza City who were waiting for desperately needed food aid trucks to arrive. 

“The entirety of Gaza’s population — 2.2 million people — find themselves in the grasp of extreme food insecurity, with more than a quarter of the population facing famine. This is particularly true in northern Gaza, where yesterday’s incident occurred and where 1 in 6 children under the age of two are suffering from severe malnutrition and wasting. This is the highest level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world.

“We continue praying for hostages to be released, for a ceasefire, and for lasting peace to reign in the region. And we call upon the White House and Congress to do all they can to bring about an end to the violence and ensure that humanitarian aid can be safely delivered to all those who need it. This includes providing U.S. global assistance programs and partner international aid organizations with enough funding to address the worsening humanitarian crisis.

“As I wrote in my recent op-ed “Jesus is hungry in Gaza. Will we feed him?” – we must proceed with purpose, always bearing in mind the imperative: ‘Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me — you did it to me.’”

The post Bread Statement on Gaza City Food Aid Deaths appeared first on Bread for the World.

Today we are faced with the challenges of war, religious nationalism, and polarization. The conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel-Palestine, the Horn of Africa, Syria, and Ukraine immediately come to mind. Yet conflicts and wars are perpetual and threaded throughout the Bible. Hunger and famine are related consequences of these horrors of death. The hatred and fears about who is an enemy have fueled and still fuel the atrocities of bloodshed and loss of life.

Yet Jesus says, “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you and even bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you.” For many this seems counter-intuitive and certainly not doable. After all, in so doing, self-interest may be compromised.

Exodus 2:1-10 provides a lesson on what it means to love and pray for the “enemy.” Although enemies, an enslaved Israelite mother, Jochebed; her daughter Miriam; and an African princess, Bithiah, reject the hatred to show love to Moses.

Together they protect baby Moses’s life. They conspire to work across enemy lines, with God on their side. Jochebed and Miriam place baby Moses in a basket and send him on his way to the river waters—hidden, not knowing where or if the baby will arrive safely to a destination point. God sees them and steps in with the angels and protects the vision of the mother and daughter and, most importantly, baby Moses.

The so-called enemy, Bithiah (the Pharoah’s daughter), sees the child and does not offer what may be the expected response of showcasing the baby to her father as a prize for his evil law. Rather, the African princess has compassion for the baby and extends hospitality to the baby, his mother, and his sister. And she protects him, not only during the encounter but also by adopting the child into her regal home! This, after the dignified negotiation with Miriam and Jochebed about the nursing care of the baby.

This important and timely biblical illustration invites us to ask ourselves what we are doing to cross so-called “enemy lines”—not only to pray for our enemies, but to show love to our enemies, with children in mind first. How do we re-imagine and implement alternative pathways that stop violence and engage love and diplomacy?

Nonpartisan advocacy is one of the ways Bread does this. We invite you to work with us to advocate for a farm bill that benefits all.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

The post Loving the Enemy: Jochebed and Bithiah’s Story appeared first on Bread for the World.

When I’m dyin’, do remember me.

When I’m in trouble, do remember me.

When this world’s on fire, do remember me.

O do, Lord, remember me.

In the early 1800’s, during the enslavement period of millions of Africans and Africans in diaspora—not only in the United States, but globally—these words were penned as a Negro spiritual. The spiritual asked the Lord to not forget them and to join them in their righteous fight for liberation. Some people who were not enslaved said yes to joining the fight, while most did not.

As we observe World Food Day 2023 Pan African peoples are still extending this invitation. Pan African peoples understand they are disproportionately affected by hunger and food insecurity. Historic inequities furthered by the wrath of racism, conflict, climate, and illnesses like COVID have further contributed to this.

In recent days, we are mindful of the thousands of lives lost because of flooding in the North African nation of Libya. And more than 3,000 people are reported to have died from the recent earthquake in Morocco. Since 1996, conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has led to approximately six million deaths. The ongoing conflict has disrupted agricultural activities, thereby limiting access to nutritious food, particularly for children who are displaced. Haiti has one of the highest levels of food insecurity in the world. 

Since the enslavement period, discriminatory policies and practices have led African peoples to be more likely to live in poverty and more likely to face unemployment. African peoples have fewer financial resources like savings or property than their white counterparts. All these factors increase someone’s likelihood of experiencing hunger. According to the USDA, in 2021, nearly 20% of Black individuals lived in a food insecure household. Black people are almost three times more likely to face hunger than white individuals.

The World Food Programme reports that there are 400 trillion dollar’s worth of wealth on the earth today, while 9 million people die from hunger every year. 

As we approach World Food Day this October, these numerical trends and events disturb us, but we also find hope in the remembrances and celebrations of the lives behind the numbers. Hope is also found in our prayers and advocacy actions. To advocate for the Farm Bill, please visit Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters webpage.

You are invited to remember, to advocate, and to recite the Prayer of Remembrance by Rev. Dr. Deolinda Teca from Angola (from the 2019 Bread Pan African Devotional):

“O God of mercy and love, teach us, like Nehemiah and the disciples of Christ, to love our neighbor. Give us the strength to work with and for those who suffer from the strange fruits of wars, conflicts, hunger, and social injustices. Amen.”

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

The post World Food Day 2023: Do, Lord, Remember Black Lives  appeared first on Bread for the World.

• The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported in October 2022 that humanitarian actions are critical to “prevent further starvation and death” in six countries of highest concern—Afghanistan, Yemen, Nigeria,  Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia.
• People in each of these six countries are either already facing starvation, or living with crisis-level food insecurity in situations likely to worsen further.
• The most recent WFP-FAO humanitarian outlook indicates that globally, about 45 million people are living in areas with high levels of severe hunger and malnutrition, levels signaling that there is a risk that conditions will worsen to the point of famine. People on the verge of famine can be found in 37 countries around the world.
• Bread has previously written about the hunger crises in Ethiopia and Nigeria. Bread also has more information on other areas where hundreds of thousands of people are living on the verge of famine. These include countries in the Sahel region just south of Africa’s Sahara Desert, Kenya, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
• Among these 45 million people are nearly 1 million people who are projected to face famine if they do not receive additional assistance in time. These groups live in the highest-priority countries, which again are Afghanistan, Yemen, Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia.

Causes:

• Armed conflict, notably in Ethiopia, Yemen, and South Sudan.
• Climate impacts, particularly sustained severe drought in East Africa. Somalia is projected to face an unprecedented fifth consecutive year of insufficient rainfall. 
• High food prices due to worldwide inflation and the impact of the war in Ukraine, which has significantly reduced the availability of imported grain.

Humanitarian assistance:

• High-income countries have significantly increased their investments in emergency humanitarian assistance because of the multiple hunger crises. This includes the United States, which allocated $5 billion for emergency food, nutritional support, and humanitarian assistance.
• However, the problem is that the needs are rising even more quickly than the assistance available.  According to the WFP/FAO humanitarian assessment, “Funding shortfalls and rising operational costs have reduced humanitarian assistance across many of these hunger hotspots.”
• The report continues: “Without additional funding, humanitarian assistance is likely to be further reduced across the board” between now and January 2023.  

How Bread Is Helping

Bread’s ongoing advocacy for robust humanitarian food and nutrition assistance is essential to an effective response to countries with famine or near-famine conditions. Bread for the World members are longtime faithful advocates for people in hunger emergencies and have already helped to win additional humanitarian funding this year. This is part of Bread’s efforts to persuade Congress to allocate funds that save lives, prevent irreparable harm from early childhood malnutrition, and ease suffering. Bread members also champion U.S. development assistance, which helps prevent hunger emergencies by enabling and equipping people to build resilient communities.

The post Hunger Hotspots: Famine and Near-Famine appeared first on Bread for the World.

Hunger always follows conflict.

In Ukraine, 1.5 million people have become displaced in their own country or are now refugees in neighboring countries.

The conflict in Ukraine is not only creating a humanitarian disaster in Europe, but also escalating the worst global hunger crisis this century.

Since Russia and Ukraine combined account for more than a quarter of the world’s exported wheat, the war is set to cause a sharp rise in global grain prices, which are predicted to rise as much as 55% in some countries—many of which are already impacted by rising hunger.

While the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent humanitarian crisis has rightly captured the world’s concern and response, we must also remember places like Afghanistan, Yemen, Tigray in Ethiopia, and Myanmar, among others that are already experiencing major humanitarian and hunger crises of their own due to conflict and violence.

In Afghanistan, 98 percent of the population does not have enough to eat and up to 1 million children under age 5 could die from malnutrition by the end of the year.

In Yemen, food prices have more than doubled, forcing families to cut back on food portions or skip meals completely. According to the World Food Program, over half the population faces extreme hunger.

Millions of people are left vulnerable to hunger and disease in Ethiopia’s Tigray region amid an ongoing civil war. Humanitarian groups have encountered severe challenges accessing the area to deliver aid and have been prevented from getting an accurate count of the people experiencing famine-like conditions.

In Myanmar, more than one-third of households spend 70 percent or more of their income on food, and more than half of families are using coping strategies like selling assets or skipping meals to make ends meet.

These are just a few of the humanitarian crises happening right now. America cannot take on all these humanitarian crises on our own. But we must lead the effort.

The U.S. has been a leader in alleviating world malnutrition and hunger for decades. We need to continue this leadership and demonstrate to the world our morals and values do not stop at our borders.

Behind these numbers and statistics are real human beings being devastated by violence, hunger, and malnutrition. I have seen this impact firsthand looking at the faces of Syrian children in refugee settlements.

I am grateful for the recent supplemental funding request by the White House. The request urges Congress to pass additional emergency funding that includes humanitarian assistance and emergency food and nutrition assistance for displaced and vulnerable people inside Ukraine and surrounding countries, and smaller amounts for humanitarian assistance in other crises. But it is not enough.

Last month, before the current crisis in Ukraine, I signed a letter requesting Congress to spend no less than $3.8 billion in supplemental emergency food and nutrition assistance funding for hunger crises around the world. Given the recent developments, it is the least we should do. In fact, I have sent another letter to Congress and I am joining my voice with other leaders in asking Congress to consider increasing this emergency funding.

In closing, I ask that you join me in continued and fervent prayer.

Pray for the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced from their homes to neighboring countries.

Pray for all those no longer able to afford basic foods.

Pray for those who are displaced in their own home countries or have become refugees yearning for safety and belonging.

Pray that while the events may be physically distant from our circumstances, our hearts will be moved in solidarity.

Pray for protection for the children, the innocent, and the most vulnerable.

Lord, give wisdom, strength, and courage to our nation’s leaders.

Humble the proud and abusers of power.

And pray for peace in every place that is experiencing violence, conflict, and hunger.

The post Rev. Eugene Cho Statement on Hunger Crises in Ukraine and Around the Globe appeared first on Bread for the World.

“Bread for the World congratulates David Beasley and the World Food Programme (WFP) for its well-deserved selection as winner of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize,” said Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World. “Bread is proud to have supported the WFP’s efforts throughout our 46-year history and will continue to do so by ensuring Congress provides it with the tools and investments it needs to alleviate global hunger.”

Conflict is a primary driver of global hunger. Every day, WFP staff are on the frontlines of combat zones and hunger helping people with the food and resources they need to survive. Without the WFP, millions of men, women, and children would die each year from hunger, malnutrition, and related effects such as childhood wasting. In addition to providing emergency assistance, WFP works to improve nutrition for women and children and build resilience in communities prone to the effects of climate changes.    

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 690 million people were experiencing hunger. Today, more than 270 million people stand on the brink of starvation due to COVID-19. Bread is urging the White House and Congress to resume negotiations and pass a comprehensive COVID-19 relief package that invests at least $20 billion for the global response to the pandemic, including $2 billion to address hunger and $500 million to address malnutrition.

“We are called by God to help our neighbors in need – whether they are around the corner or around the world. We hope, pray, and petition the White House and Congress will heed this call and provide the necessary investments so that the WFP, USAID, and other organizations can continue this urgent and critical work,” said Cho.

The post Bread Celebrates World Food Programme Nobel Peace Prize Award appeared first on Bread for the World.

Five years ago, Miriam and her family left their home in Aleppo, Syria. They walked over 11 hours to get to Maalag, Lebanon, which is not far from the Syrian-Lebanese border. The fear of being killed in the civil war in Syria convinced them to leave. Miriam’s story is much like the stories of all the other mothers I recently visited in Maalag. The stories gave witness to the strong determination and hope of these mothers who have created a new diaspora community for themselves and their young children.

The mothers also shared the positive impact of our Bread for the World partner and my host, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). IOCC has contributed to the support of this community through their Mother Care Group Health and Nutrition Awareness sessions conducted by IOCC lactation specialists. It is through this program that the mothers are mobilized around the issues of health and nutrition, immunization, and infant and young-child feeding.

Not far from Maalag is Zahle, where I visited a school at which IOCC hosts a nutritious school-snack program as part of its nutrition education project. It is one of 35 public schools hosting over 16,000 students each month. The program is co-hosted by the World Food Programme (WFP). The project includes the development and dissemination of a curriculum on healthy lifestyle habits shared among school children aged 3 to 16. The topics of the nutrition education project include: 1) food sources; 2) the importance of healthy eating; 3) food groups; 4) healthy food choices; and, 5) breakfast and healthy meals. The curriculum was developed in 2017 by IOCC’s technical nutrition team, in accordance with WFP and Lebanon Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE). The guide was based on the “Discovery Learning” concept.

The mothers and children help make up much of the population of 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon today, according to UNHCR reports. Lebanon has the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita. It also hosts an additional 18,500 refugees from Ethiopia, Iraq, Sudan, and other countries, and more than 200,000 Palestinian refugees. While many commend Lebanon for its hospitality, social unrest has also been especially visible in recent months. This has led to a change in government that many hope will advance new possibilities for all people in Lebanon.

IOCC has been an important partner and resource throughout Lebanon. With headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, IOCC is the official humanitarian relief and development agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. Founded in 1992 and guided by its mission to support the social service capacity of the Orthodox Church worldwide, IOCC and its partners are fostering hope with their nutrition education and inspire all of us to be advocates for global nutrition. May our prayerful actions together make it possible for all to be fed with nutritious food no matter the circumstances.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church Engagement at Bread for the World.

The post Nutrition education fosters hope among Syrian mothers and children in Lebanon appeared first on Bread for the World.

Conflict is a main driver of the recent increase in hunger around the world and of forced migration. Hunger also contributes to conflict.

With the effects of climate change, fragile institutions, poor governance, and further complications such as sectarianism, conflict is a major barrier to Bread for the World’s vision of a world without hunger.

The challenges we see today are not new to people of faith. Vulnerable communities are part of the sacred stories highlighted in scripture. Famine and vulnerability of women (Ruth 1-4), political instability (1 & 2 Kings), ethnic oppression (Exodus 1:8-16), and religious persecution (Acts 8) have affected people throughout the ages.

Our God upholds the just cause of the poor (Psalm 140:12). To end hunger around the world, we must advocate for U.S. government policies that put us on a path toward this goal and do not contribute to conditions that increase hunger.

This resource outlines guiding principles for policies that can address conflict, fragility, and hunger.

“Conflict is a main driver of hunger … hunger also contributes to conflict”

The post Conflict and Fragility Are Hunger Issues appeared first on Bread for the World.

“Our faith compels us to promote peace and seek to end strife,” said Rev. Dawn Barnes, a letter signer from Indianapolis, Indiana. “The war in Yemen is complex, but continued U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia will only cause more harm and suffering. Matthew 5:9 says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’ I pray that Congress has the wisdom and strength to make America a peacemaker in Yemen.”

Yemenis are trying to survive the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Twenty-four million people – 80 percent of the country’s population – need some form of humanitarian assistance and protection. By the end of the year, the UN estimates that the conflict will have directly or indirectly killed over 230,000 people. The crisis in Yemen is directly enabled by U.S. arms sales and military support for the Saudi/UAE intervention in the conflict. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates countries repeatedly have used U.S.-made bombs and missiles to target homes, farms, and medical centers.  Saudi and UAE airstrikes are responsible for two-thirds of the direct civilian casualties in the Yemen conflict, and have destroyed infrastructure vital for preventing the outbreak of famine and responding to the cholera epidemic and other diseases. 

The faith leaders’ letter emphatically states, “As Americans of faith, we call upon Congress to end all U.S. arms sales and military support to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for the war in Yemen, which has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians and put millions more at risk of famine, in what has become the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”

“Bread for the World has taken action for Yemen because the United States is complicit in this man-made crisis,” said Matt Gross, director of organizing at Bread for the World. “We cannot stand idly by while millions continue to suffer because of the actions of our government.”  

Last year, Bread for the World delivered petitions signed by more than 30,000 Christians and people of faith to the Trump administration and Congress calling on them “to use all tools available to the United States to avert further suffering and death in Yemen.”

In addition to publishing the letter, Bread for the World, Oxfam America, and Avaaz have placed its text in a Washington Post insert sent this morning specifically to all 535 Congressional offices, so that Senators and Representatives from both parties cannot ignore this call by American faith leaders to end U.S. arms sales and dramatically shift America’s role in Yemen’s ongoing war and humanitarian crisis.

The post 100 Faith Leaders Urge End of U.S. Support for War in Yemen appeared first on Bread for the World.

In April 2014, much of the world was appalled by the kidnapping of 276 girls from a secondary school in the town of Chibok in northern Nigeria. The region is a stronghold of the terror group Boko Haram. They were not the first girls abducted for daring to defy Boko Haram’s prohibition of female education, and sadly, they have not been the last.

Nearly five years later, more than 100 girls from the Chibok school remain missing. Some of those who escaped or were freed sought help from Dr. Rebecca Dali, who runs the Center for Caring, Empowering and Peace Initiatives (CCEPI). Some of the girls have been rejected by their families and communities because they are rape survivors who have given birth to children whose fathers are terrorists.

Dali founded CCEPI in 1989 to help Nigerian women, children, and orphans. Dali and her colleagues at CCEPI not only offer treatment for the traumas the Chibok girls have endured, but also enable them to learn skills and offer them tools to improve their ability to earn a living.

Dali offers herself as an example to the girls of what they are capable of doing. “I have walked the same path that you are going through,” she tells them. “My history is terrible, but I did not lose hope, so I don’t want you to lose hope.” Dali was raped when she was 6 years old. When she turned 8, her father told her that she must get married to help support the family. She wanted to stay in school, so she ran away. Dali ultimately earned a Ph.D. and has written books documenting what happened to people whom CCEPI has cared for over the decades.

In 2017, Dali was awarded the Sergio Vieira de Mello Award, named for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights who was killed in Iraq in 2003. “Dr. Dali’s access into the local community and academic research have been invaluable to the advocacy community in the U.S. as we amplify the voices of those affected by violence in northeast Nigeria,” says Nathan Hosler, director of the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy for the Church of the Brethren in the United States.

Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) is the church’s largest national body. Samuel Dali, Dr. Dali’s husband, served for many years as president of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, and most of the kidnapped Chibok girls are members. In addition to support from the church, CCEPI receives support from other donors, including USAID, the European Union, the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the International Rescue Committee.

Dali has had many encounters with Boko Haram and has paid a terrible price for treating its victims. In 2014, the group kidnapped her son. He has not been heard from since, and she presumes that he is dead. Despite the dangers, Dali and CCEPI remain committed to their ministry. As she told an interviewer, “If my organization is not there, who will go?”

The post The Center for Caring, Empowering, and Peace Initiatives appeared first on Bread for the World.

“It is a moral outrage that this scale of human suffering is allowed to happen in our time, and that the United States is complicit,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “Our government must immediately withdraw its support for the parties fueling this crisis.”

Yemen is currently facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis; the United Nations reports that half of the population is already facing near-famine conditions and is entirely reliant on aid for survival. At least 400,000 children younger than age 5 are at risk of death from malnutrition.

What makes this near-famine different from others is that it is entirely man-made – a result of the four-year civil war. It has been reported that airstrikes and other acts of war have intentionally targeted markets, roads, vehicles, and other means of transporting food. The economic policies and de facto blockade by the Saudi-led coalition have made the food that is available unaffordable.

The petition calls on the Trump administration and Congress to:

• End all U.S. military and intelligence support to the Saudi-led coalition waging war in Yemen.
• Use U.S. influence and leverage in the region to promote peace and responsible economic policies that will enable the Yemeni population to access and afford food and medicine.
• Ensure the humanitarian response in Yemen is fully funded to meet the immediate nutrition needs of Yemen’s civilian population.

The Senate is expected to pass a resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition this week. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives is unlikely to take up the resolution before the end of the year, and President Trump has vowed to veto it.

“Jesus calls on us to nourish those who are hungry and thirsty. However, humanitarian aid alone will not solve this crisis. The U.S. must lead diplomatic efforts to promote peace,” added Beckmann.

Read the petition: End the Famine Crisis in Yemen and Build Peace

The post 30,000 Christians Sign Petition on Yemen appeared first on Bread for the World.

Estas causas de migración son a menudo referidas como “factores que empujan a la emigración”, porque muchos migrantes de Centroamérica están siendo “forzados” hacia Estados Unidos por las condiciones en sus hogares, en lugar de “jalados” por las oportunidades. Los factores principales que empujan la emigración son el hambre, la violencia y la pobreza extrema.

La inmigración indocumentada se trata menos de Estados Unidos y más sobre el hambre, la pobreza extrema y el conflicto en tres países del Triángulo Norte de Centroamérica—Guatemala, El Salvador, y Honduras. La guerra y la pobreza extrema han creado situaciones similares en Siria, Nigeria, Yemen y Myanmar. La emigración forzada está en aumento alrededor del mundo.

The post ¿Por qué las familias están abandonando Centroamérica? appeared first on Bread for the World.

From the earliest days of U.S. history, our country has welcomed people who are escaping persecution and poverty. People who make the decision to leave home and come to the United States, in recent years as in the past, generally have few other options. Factors beyond their control have made their circumstances too hungry and violent for them to remain.

These causes of migration are often called “push factors,” because many migrants from Central America are primarily being “pushed” to the United States by conditions at home, rather than “pulled” here by opportunities. The main push factors are hunger, violence, and extreme poverty.

Undocumented immigration is less about the United States and more about hunger, extreme poverty, and conflict in the three countries of Central America’s Northern Triangle—Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. War and extreme poverty have created similar situations from Syria and Nigeria to Yemen and Myanmar. Forced migration is on the rise worldwide.

The post Fact sheet: Why are families leaving Central America? appeared first on Bread for the World.

The video, “Rebuilding for Resilience,” is based on an interview with Michelle Nunn, president and CEO of CARE USA. It debuts as tens of millions of people in multiple countries face starvation. The Trump administration had requested deep cuts to U.S. foreign assistance, although the House of Representatives has scaled back those cuts.

“Emergency assistance, in places like Yemen, Somalia and Nigeria, saves lives every day,” said Nunn. “While the U.S. contributes more to humanitarian response than any other country in the world, we must continue investing in the resilience of communities to recover and rebuild, whether it be drought, conflict, or large-scale displacement.”

“The international community must continue to provide humanitarian aid during hunger emergencies,” said Asma Lateef, director of Bread for the World Institute, producer of The Hunger Report. “But we must also take steps and make investments that prevent or minimize the impact of future crises.” 

“Rebuilding for Resilience” is the third in a new series based on the award-winning 2017 Hunger Report: Fragile Environments, Resilient Communities, published by Bread for the World Institute. The report offers recommendations on how to address the long-term challenges of civil conflict, poor governance, and vulnerability to climate change.

“With famine conditions tightening their grip in four separate countries, and the crises becoming more significant, America should be increasing foreign assistance, not slashing it. Not since CARE’s founding more than 70 years ago, have we seen this level of need,” said Nunn.

“Right now, as multiple countries stand on the brink of famine, some U.S. lawmakers are still proposing deep cuts to foreign assistance,” Lateef said. “If these budget cuts go through, we will continue to see hunger emergencies happening in the same countries again and again. Smart investments now can save lives and money, and put us on the road to ending hunger.”

Currently, the U.S. spends roughly one cent on foreign assistance for every dollar in the federal budget. Severe cuts to lifesaving programs have been proposed as Congress reconvenes today to debate next year’s national budget.

The post Report Explores How to Rebuild After Famine as U.S. Debates Deep Foreign Assistance Cuts appeared first on Bread for the World.