III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 114 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on humanitarian crises in Nigeria, 

Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 5 (legislative day, APRIL 4), 2017 

Mr. YOUNG (for himself and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on humanitarian crises 

in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. 

Whereas Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen are all 

in famine, pre-famine, or ‘‘at risk of famine’’ stages in 

2017; 

Whereas, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), 

20,000,000 people are at risk of starvation within the 

next six months in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and 

Yemen; 

Whereas, on March 22, 2017, Mr. Yves Daccord, the Director-General of the International Committee of the Red 

Cross, testified that the crisis represents ‘‘one of the 

most critical humanitarian issues to face mankind since 

the end of the Second World War’’ and warned that ‘‘we 


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•SRES 114 IS 

are at the brink of a humanitarian mega-crisis unprecedented in recent history’’; 

Whereas, according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), ‘‘More than 5.1 million 

people face severe food insecurity in northeastern Nigeria’’; 

Whereas, according to USAID, ‘‘An estimated 6.2 million 

people—more than half of Somalia’s total population— 

currently require urgent humanitarian assistance.’’; 

Whereas, according to USAID, ‘‘An estimated 5.5 million 

people—nearly half of South Sudan’s population—will 

face life threatening hunger by July.’’; 

Whereas, according to USAID, in Yemen, ‘‘More than seventeen million people—an astounding 60% of the country’s 

population—are food insecure, including seven million 

people who are unable to survive without food assistance.’’; 

Whereas, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund 

(UNICEF), ‘‘Some 22 million children have been left 

hungry, sick, displaced and out of school in the four 

countries. Nearly 1.4 million are at imminent risk of 

death this year from severe malnutrition.’’; 

Whereas the humanitarian crises in each of these regions are, 

to varying degrees, man-made and preventable—exacerbated by armed conflict, disregard for international humanitarian law, and deliberate restrictions on humanitarian access; 

Whereas parties to the conflicts have harassed, attacked, and 

killed humanitarian workers, blocking and hindering humanitarian access and depriving the world’s most hungry 

people of the food they need; 


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•SRES 114 IS 

Whereas humanitarian actors, coordinated by UNOCHA, are 

appealing for $5,600,000,000 in 2017 to address famines 

in Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia, 

$4,400,000,000 of which is required urgently; and 

Whereas Mr. Daccord testified on March 22, 2017, ‘‘Our 

message is clear: immediate, decisive action is needed to 

prevent vast numbers of people starving to death.’’: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) it is the sense of the Senate that— 

3 (A) United States national security inter4 ests and the values of the American people de5 mand that the United States lead an urgent 

6 and comprehensive international diplomatic ef7 fort to address obstacles in Nigeria, Somalia, 

8 South Sudan, and Yemen that are preventing 

9 humanitarian aid from being delivered to mil10 lions of people who desperately need it; 

11 (B) the President should encourage other 

12 governments to join the United States in pro13 viding the resources necessary to meet the 

14 $5,600,000,000 UNOCHA appeal to address 

15 the humanitarian crises in Nigeria, Somalia, 

16 South Sudan, and Yemen; 

17 (C) parties to the conflicts in Nigeria, So18 malia, South Sudan, and Yemen must respect 

19 fully international humanitarian law by allowing 


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•SRES 114 IS 

1 and facilitating rapid and unimpeded passage of 

2 humanitarian relief for civilians in need and re3 specting and protecting humanitarian and med4 ical relief personnel and objects; and 

5 (D) the President, working with inter6 national partners, should work to identify and 

7 document violations of international humani8 tarian law in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, 

9 and Yemen seeking to bring perpetrators to jus10 tice where possible; and 

11 (2) the Senate— 

12 (A) urges the President, in close coordina13 tion with international partners, to employ 

14 every appropriate strategy to persuade the Gov15 ernment of South Sudan to stop blocking aid 

16 for people who desperately need it; 

17 (B) calls on the President to notify Con18 gress without delay if the Government of South 

19 Sudan does not immediately and fully respect 

20 international humanitarian law so that Con21 gress can work with the President to impose 

22 additional costs on the government and leaders 

23 of South Sudan for their deplorable actions; 

24 (C) urges the President to press the Gov25 ernment of Nigeria to take tangible and immeVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:40 Apr 06, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR114.IS SR114

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•SRES 114 IS 

1 diate steps to ensure accountability for security 

2 forces that violate human rights and fail to co3 operate fully with international aid efforts; 

4 (D) calls on the President to send the Sec5 retary of State or other high level representa6 tive to attend the upcoming United Kingdom’s 

7 Ministerial Conference on Somalia and publicly 

8 announce a contribution to the humanitarian 

9 assistance efforts which will help leverage other 

10 international donors; and 

11 (E) urges the President to work urgently 

12 with stakeholders to persuade parties to conflict 

13 in Yemen to permit humanitarian groups in14 creased access to Red Sea ports like Hodeida to 

15 deliver much-needed assistance to vulnerable 

16 communities. 

Æ 


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