[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 344 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 344


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 11, 2008

      Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the disproportionate impact of the global food crisis on 
                   children in the developing world.

Whereas according to the United Nations, over 850,000,000 people in the world 
        are chronically or acutely malnourished, and over 300,000,000 of these 
        are children;
Whereas the 2000 United Nations Millennium Development Summit called for halving 
        the proportion of hungry people in the world by the year 2015, but 
        progress reaching this goal has been slow, and, according to

              

 the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, only the Latin 
American and Caribbean region has been reducing the prevalence of hunger 
quickly enough to reach this target;

Whereas every year, malnutrition caused by chronic hunger leads to the death of 
        an estimated 5,600,000 children under 5 years old;
Whereas, according to UNICEF, an estimated 146,000,000 children, or roughly one 
        in every four children under 5 years old, are underweight;
Whereas hunger and malnutrition weaken the immune system, and as a result 
        treatable diseases pose a greater risk to malnourished children;
Whereas even temporary deprivation of essential nutrients can have a lasting 
        impact on children's physical growth and intellectual potential;
Whereas children who are only mildly underweight are twice as likely to die of 
        infectious diseases as children who are better nourished, and children 
        who are moderately or severely underweight are 5 to 8 times more likely 
        to die of infectious diseases;
Whereas according to a study conducted by the United Nations Food and 
        Agriculture Organization, 45 percent of children who died after 
        contracting measles were malnourished, as were 60 percent of children 
        who died after contracting severe diarrhea;
Whereas chronic hunger and undernutrition can lead to growth retardation 
        (stunting), affecting an estimated 168,000,000 children under the age of 
        5 in developing countries;
Whereas some 42 percent of children under the age of 5 are stunted in the least 
        developed countries, compared to 30 percent globally;
Whereas women whose growth was stunted face ongoing health complications as 
        adults, are more likely to have obstructed labor, are at greater risk of 
        dying during childbirth, and are more likely to deliver children who are 
        premature and stunted;
Whereas stunted growth has also been linked to diminished work capacity and 
        higher propensity to diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, in 
        adults;
Whereas the global community is currently facing a food crisis, with food prices 
        doubling over the past 3 years and rising 65 percent between January and 
        April 2007 alone, and the World Bank has estimated that the emergency 
        situation could push 100,000,000 people in low-income countries deeper 
        into poverty;
Whereas in times of food crisis, families often must cut more expensive foods, 
        such as meat, fruit, and vegetables, from their diets, instead relying 
        on less nutritious staples such as rice and maize, foods without the 
        nutrients necessary for proper child growth;
Whereas, on June 3, 2008, through June 5, 2008, more than 180 countries, 
        including more than 40 heads of state and more than 100 ministers, 
        attended and participated in the High Level Conference on World Food 
        Security in Rome, Italy;
Whereas at the High Level Conference on World Food Security, the participating 
        countries pledged to increase their assistance for developing countries, 
        in particular least developed countries and those that are most 
        negatively affected by high food prices; and
Whereas the G8 member states declared at the 2008 Hokkaido Toyko Summit their 
        commitment to addressing urgent needs of the most vulnerable people 
        suffering from the global food crisis and to increasing investment in 
        long-term agricultural development and for programs that respond to the 
        underlying causes of food insecurity: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) in emergency situations, children have different needs 
        than those of adults, and nutritional deficiencies 
        disproportionately affect children;
            (2) in the context of the current global food crisis, the 
        nutritional needs of children must be a humanitarian priority; 
        and
            (3) the United States and the other G8 member states should 
        continue to monitor the impact of the global food crisis on 
        children and commit to increasing their assistance to respond 
        to the global food cri-


              

        sis, and specifically, responding to the needs of children 
        impacted by the global food crisis.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 9, 2008.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.