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