III 

Calendar No. 434 

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, and Mr. COONS) 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 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

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; 


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•SRES 669 RS 

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 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 

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 


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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 

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 

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 


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•SRES 669 RS 

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 GlobVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Jul 11, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR669.RS SR669

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al 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 That the Senate— 

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

4 war through the— 

5 (A) starvation of civilians; 

6 (B) intentional and reckless destruction, 

7 removing, looting, or rendering useless objects 

8 necessary for food production and distribution 

9 such as farmland, markets, mills, food proc10 essing and storage areas, foodstuffs, crops, live11 stock, agricultural assets, waterways, water sys12 tems, drinking water installations and supplies, 

13 and irrigation works; 

14 (C) denial of humanitarian access and the 

15 deprivation of objects indispensable to people’s 

16 survival, such as food supplies and nutrition re17 sources; and 

18 (D) willful interruption of market systems 

19 to affected populations in need in conflict enviVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Jul 11, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\SR669.RS SR669

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1 ronments by preventing travel and manipulating 

2 currency exchange; and 

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

4 (A) prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out 

5 and address instances where hunger and inten6 tional deprivation of food is being utilized as a 

7 weapon of war, including efforts to ensure that 

8 security operations do not undermine livelihoods 

9 of local populations to minimize civilian harm; 

10 (B) continue efforts to address severe food 

11 insecurity through humanitarian response ef12 forts, including in-kind food assistance, vouch13 ers, and other flexible modalities; 

14 (C) ensure existing interagency strategies, 

15 crisis response efforts, and ongoing programs 

16 consider, integrate, and adapt to address con17 flict by utilizing crisis modifiers in United 

18 States Agency for International Development 

19 programming to respond to rapid shocks and 

20 stress such as the willful targeting of food sys21 tems; and 

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

23 weapon of war is considered within the employ24 ment of tools to hold individuals, governments, 

25 militias, or entities responsible such as the 


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1 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability 

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

3 taking into consideration the need for humani4 tarian exemptions and the protection of life5 saving assistance. 

6 SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE. 

7 The Senate— 

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

9 war through the— 

10 (A) starvation of civilians; 

11 (B) intentional and reckless destruction, re12 moval, looting, or rendering useless objects nec13 essary for food production and distribution, such 

14 as farmland, markets, mills, food processing and 

15 storage facilities, foodstuffs, crops, livestock, agri16 cultural assets, waterways, water systems, drink17 ing water facilities and supplies, and irrigation 

18 networks; 

19 (C) denial of humanitarian access and the 

20 deprivation of objects indispensable to people’s 

21 survival, such as food supplies and nutrition re22 sources; and 

23 (D) willful interruption of market systems 

24 for populations in need, including through the 


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1 prevention of travel and manipulation of cur2 rency exchange; and 

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

4 (A) prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out 

5 and address instances where hunger and inten6 tional deprivation of food is being utilized as a 

7 weapon of war, including through efforts to en8 sure that security operations minimize civilian 

9 harm and do not undermine livelihoods of civil10 ian populations; 

11 (B) continue efforts to address severe global 

12 food insecurity through effective humanitarian 

13 response efforts, including through the provision 

14 of United States in-kind food assistance, vouch15 ers, and other flexible food aid modalities; 

16 (C) ensure existing interagency strategies, 

17 crisis response efforts, and ongoing programs 

18 consider, integrate, and adapt to conflict situa19 tions, including by utilizing crisis modifiers in 

20 United States Agency for International Develop21 ment programming to respond to rapid shocks 

22 and stress such as the willful targeting of food 

23 systems; and 

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

25 weapon of war is considered within the employVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:12 Jul 11, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\SR669.RS SR669

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1 ment of tools to hold individuals, governments, 

2 militias, or entities responsible, such as the Glob3 al Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act 

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

5 into consideration the need for humanitarian ex6 emptions and the protection of lifesaving assist7 ance. 

8 SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

9 Nothing in this resolution shall be construed as author10 izing the use of military force or the introduction of United 

11 States forces into hostilities. 


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Calendar No. 434 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 669 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war 

food security and famine. and recognizing the effect of conflict on global 

JULY 11, 2022 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 


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