Title: A resolution condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognizing the effect of conflict on global food security and famine.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution condemns the use of hunger, including the starvation of civilians, as a weapon of warfare. It also calls on the U.S. government to 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 efforts to ensure that security operations do not undermine livelihoods of local populations to minimize civilian harm.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 669 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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 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 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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the use of hunger as a weapon of war through 
        the--
                    (A) starvation of civilians;
                    (B) intentional and reckless destruction, removing, 
                looting, or rendering useless objects necessary for 
                food production and distribution such as farmland, 
                markets, mills, food processing and storage areas, 
                foodstuffs, crops, livestock, agricultural assets, 
                waterways, water systems, drinking water installations 
                and supplies, and irrigation works;
                    (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 to 
                affected populations in need in conflict environments 
                by preventing travel and manipulating 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 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 efforts, 
                including in-kind food assistance, vouchers, and other 
                flexible modalities;
                    (C) ensure existing interagency strategies, crisis 
                response efforts, and ongoing programs consider, 
                integrate, and adapt to address conflict 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.
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