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, and Mr. RISCH) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

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, 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 worsened rising global food insecurity; 

Whereas conflict acutely impacts vulnerable populations such 

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

Whereas armed conflict impacts on food security can be direct, such as displacement from land, destruction of liveVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Jun 09, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR669.IS SR669

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•SRES 669 IS 

stock 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 

preparation, including water and fuel; 

Whereas conflict disrupts the distribution and buying and 

selling of food within a food system due to a shortage of 

produce, risk, or perceived risk of travel, the formation 

of illegal distribution channels and markets, and the 

breakdown of a government’s ability to enforce regulations or perform its judiciary functions; 

Whereas aerial bombing campaigns targeting agricultural 

heartlands, scorched earth methods of warfare, and the 

use of landmines and other explosive devices have direct 

impacts on the ability of vulnerable populations to feed 

themselves; 

Whereas effective humanitarian response in armed conflict, 

including in the threat of conflict-induced famine and 

food insecurity in situations of armed conflict, requires 

respect for international humanitarian law by all parties 

to the 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 blockades, security impediments, or irregular bureaucratic requirements is another means by which combatants employ starvation and food deprivation as a weapon of war; 

and 


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•SRES 669 IS 

Whereas the United States Government has the 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, That the Senate— 

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

3 war through the— 

4 (A) starvation of civilians; 

5 (B) intentional and reckless destruction, 

6 removing, looting, or rendering useless objects 

7 necessary for food production and distribution 

8 such as farmland, markets, mills, food proc9 essing and storage areas, foodstuffs, crops, live10 stock, agricultural assets, waterways, water sys11 tems, drinking water installations and supplies, 

12 and irrigation works; 

13 (C) denial of humanitarian access and the 

14 deprivation of objects indispensable to people’s 

15 survival, such as food supplies and nutrition re16 sources; and 


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•SRES 669 IS 

1 (D) willful interruption of market systems 

2 to affected populations in need in conflict envi3 ronments by preventing travel and manipulating 

4 currency exchange; and 

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

6 (A) prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out 

7 and address instances where hunger and inten8 tional deprivation of food is being utilized as a 

9 weapon of war, including efforts to ensure that 

10 security operations do not undermine livelihoods 

11 of local populations to minimize civilian harm; 

12 (B) continue efforts to address severe food 

13 insecurity through humanitarian response ef14 forts, including in-kind food assistance, vouch15 ers, and other flexible modalities; 

16 (C) ensure existing interagency strategies, 

17 crisis response efforts, and ongoing programs 

18 consider, integrate, and adapt to address con19 flict by utilizing crisis modifiers in United 

20 States Agency for International Development 

21 programming to respond to rapid shocks and 

22 stress such as the willful targeting of food sys23 tems; and 

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

25 weapon of war is considered within the employVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Jun 09, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR669.IS SR669

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1 ment of tools to hold individuals, governments, 

2 militias, or entities responsible such as the 

3 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability 

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

5 taking into consideration the need for humani6 tarian exemptions and the protection of life7 saving assistance. 

Æ 


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