III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 669 

Condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognizing the 

effect of conflict on global food security and famine. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 9, 2022 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. THUNE, Mr. 

MENENDEZ, Mr. RISCH, Mr. COONS, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. KELLY, Mr. 

BROWN, Mr. WYDEN, Ms. SMITH, Mr. CASEY, and Mr. BENNET) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Relations 

JULY 11, 2022 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

JULY 20, 2022 

Considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended preamble 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war and 

recognizing the effect of conflict on global food security 

and famine. 

Whereas, in 2020, an estimated 155,000,000 people experienced crisis levels of food insecurity (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification phase 3 or above), with nearly 

100,000,000 people living in environments where conflict 

was the main driver of hunger, and the COVID–19 panVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:13 Jul 21, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR669.ATS SR669

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•SRES 669 ATS 

demic has exacerbated rising levels of global food insecurity; 

Whereas conflict acutely impacts vulnerable populations such 

as women and children, persons with disabilities, refugees, and internally displaced persons; 

Whereas the impacts of conflict on food security can be direct, such as displacement from land, destruction of livestock grazing areas and fishing grounds, or destruction 

of food stocks and agricultural assets, or indirect, such 

as disruptions to food systems, leading to increased food 

prices or decreased household purchasing power, or decreased access to supplies that are necessary for food 

production and preparation, including agricultural inputs, 

water, and fuel; 

Whereas conflict disrupts the distribution and buying and 

selling of food within a food system, including by creating 

shortages in production, increasing real and perceived 

risks for travel and transport, enabling the formation of 

illegal distribution channels and markets, and contributing to the breakdown of a government’s ability to enforce regulations or perform its judiciary functions; 

Whereas aerial bombing campaigns targeting agricultural 

heartlands, and the use of scorched earth methods of 

warfare, landmines, and other explosive devices have direct impacts on the ability of vulnerable populations to 

feed themselves; 

Whereas effective humanitarian response in conflict, including 

in response to the threat of conflict-induced famine and 

food insecurity, requires respect for international humanitarian law by all parties to such conflict, and allowing 


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•SRES 669 ATS 

and facilitating the rapid and unimpeded movement of 

humanitarian relief to all those in need; 

Whereas efforts to restrict humanitarian aid and the operational integrity and impartiality of humanitarian aid 

works and distribution efforts, including through the imposition of blockades, security impediments, or irregular 

bureaucratic requirements, are another means by which 

combatants employ starvation and food deprivation as a 

weapon of war; and 

Whereas the United States Government has multiple tools to 

fight global hunger, protect lifesaving assistance, and 

promote the prevention of conflict, including through the 

Global Fragility Act of 2019 (title V of division J of Public Law 116–94), the Global Food Security Act of 2016 

(Public Law 114–195), and the Agriculture Improvement 

Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–334), and has the potential 

to hold accountable those using hunger as a weapon of 

war through the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 

114–328): Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE. 

3 The Senate— 

4 (1) condemns the use of hunger as a weapon of 

5 war through the— 

6 (A) starvation of civilians; 

7 (B) intentional and reckless destruction, 

8 removal, looting, or rendering useless objects 

9 necessary for food production and distribution, 


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•SRES 669 ATS 

1 such as farmland, markets, mills, food proc2 essing and storage facilities, foodstuffs, crops, 

3 livestock, agricultural assets, waterways, water 

4 systems, drinking water facilities and supplies, 

5 and irrigation networks; 

6 (C) denial of humanitarian access and the 

7 deprivation of objects indispensable to people’s 

8 survival, such as food supplies and nutrition re9 sources; and 

10 (D) willful interruption of market systems 

11 for populations in need, including through the 

12 prevention of travel and manipulation of cur13 rency exchange; and 

14 (2) calls on the United States Government to— 

15 (A) prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out 

16 and address instances where hunger and inten17 tional deprivation of food is being utilized as a 

18 weapon of war, including through efforts to en19 sure that security operations minimize civilian 

20 harm and do not undermine livelihoods of civil21 ian populations; 

22 (B) continue efforts to address severe glob23 al food insecurity through effective humani24 tarian response efforts, including through the 

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1 ance, vouchers, and other flexible food aid mo2 dalities; 

3 (C) ensure existing interagency strategies, 

4 crisis response efforts, and ongoing programs 

5 consider, integrate, and adapt to conflict situa6 tions, including by utilizing crisis modifiers in 

7 United States Agency for International Devel8 opment programming to respond to rapid 

9 shocks and stress such as the willful targeting 

10 of food systems; and 

11 (D) ensure that the use of hunger as a 

12 weapon of war is considered within the employ13 ment of tools to hold individuals, governments, 

14 militias, or entities responsible, such as the 

15 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability 

16 Act (22 U.S.C. 2656), where appropriate, and 

17 taking into consideration the need for humani18 tarian exemptions and the protection of life19 saving assistance. 

20 SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

21 Nothing in this resolution shall be construed as au22 thorizing the use of military force or the introduction of 

23 United States forces into hostilities. 

Æ 


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