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[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 669 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>

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 pandemic 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 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
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

    The Senate--
            (1) condemns the use of hunger as a weapon of war through 
        the--
                    (A) starvation of civilians;
                    (B) intentional and reckless destruction, removal, 
                looting, or rendering useless objects necessary for 
                food production and distribution, such as farmland, 
                markets, mills, food processing and storage facilities, 
                foodstuffs, crops, livestock, agricultural assets, 
                waterways, water systems, drinking water facilities and 
                supplies, and irrigation networks;
                    (C) denial of humanitarian access and the 
                deprivation of objects indispensable to people's 
                survival, such as food supplies and nutrition 
                resources; and
                    (D) willful interruption of market systems for 
                populations in need, including through the prevention 
                of travel and manipulation of currency exchange; and
            (2) calls on the United States Government to--
                    (A) prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out and 
                address instances where hunger and intentional 
                deprivation of food is being utilized as a weapon of 
                war, including through efforts to ensure that security 
                operations minimize civilian harm and do not undermine 
                livelihoods of civilian populations;
                    (B) continue efforts to address severe global food 
                insecurity through effective humanitarian response 
                efforts, including through the provision of United 
                States in-kind food assistance, vouchers, and other 
                flexible food aid modalities;
                    (C) ensure existing interagency strategies, crisis 
                response efforts, and ongoing programs consider, 
                integrate, and adapt to conflict situations, including 
                by utilizing crisis modifiers in United States Agency 
                for International Development programming to respond to 
                rapid shocks and stress such as the willful targeting 
                of food systems; and
                    (D) ensure that the use of hunger as a weapon of 
                war is considered within the employment of tools to 
                hold individuals, governments, militias, or entities 
                responsible, such as the Global Magnitsky Human Rights 
                Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656), where appropriate, 
                and taking into consideration the need for humanitarian 
                exemptions and the protection of lifesaving assistance.

SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this resolution shall be construed as authorizing the 
use of military force or the introduction of United States forces into 
hostilities.
                                 <all>
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