IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 922 
Condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognizing the 
effect of conflict on global food security and famine. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 9, 2022 
Ms. JACOBS of California (for herself, Mr. MEIJER, Mr. RUSH, and Mr. 
MANN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
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 lev-
els 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 this crisis, 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, refu-
gees, and internally displaced persons; 
Whereas armed conflict impacts on food security can be di-
rect, such as displacement from land, destruction of live-
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•HRES 922 IH 
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 de-
creased 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 regula-
tions 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 oper-
ational integrity and impartiality of humanitarian aid 
works and distribution efforts, including through block-
ades, security impediments, or irregular bureaucratic re-
quirements is another means by which combatants em-
ploy starvation and food deprivation as a weapon of war; 
and 
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•HRES 922 IH 
Whereas the United States Government has the tools to fight 
global hunger, protect lifesaving assistance, and promote 
the prevention of conflict 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 ac-
countable those using hunger as a weapon in conflict 
through the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Account-
ability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114– 
328): Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns— 
(A) the use of starvation of civilians as a 
weapon of warfare; 
(B) the intentional and reckless destruc-
tion, removing, looting, or rendering useless ob-
jects necessary for food production and dis-
tribution such as farmland, markets, mills, food 
processing and storage areas, foodstuffs, crops, 
livestock, agricultural assets, waterways, water 
systems, drinking water installations and sup-
plies, and irrigation works; 
(C) the denial of humanitarian access and 
the deprivation of objects indispensable to peo-
ple’s survival, such as food supplies and nutri-
tion resources; and 
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•HRES 922 IH 
(D) the willful interruption of market sys-
tems to affected populations in need in conflict 
environments by preventing travel and manipu-
lating currency exchange; 
(2) calls on the United States Government to— 
(A) prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out 
and address instances where hunger and inten-
tional deprivation of food is being utilized as a 
weapon of war, including efforts to ensure that 
security operations do not undermine livelihoods 
of local populations to minimize civilian harm; 
(B) continue efforts to address severe food 
insecurity through humanitarian response ef-
forts, including in-kind food assistance, vouch-
ers, and other flexible modalities; 
(C) ensure existing interagency strategies, 
crisis response efforts, and ongoing programs 
consider, integrate, and adapt to address con-
flict 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 sys-
tems; and 
(D) ensure that the use of hunger as a 
weapon in conflict is considered within the em-
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•HRES 922 IH 
ployment of tools to hold individuals, govern-
ments, militias, or entities responsible such as 
the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Account-
ability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656), where appro-
priate, and taking into consideration the need 
for humanitarian exemptions and the protection 
of lifesaving assistance. 
Æ 
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