[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 114 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 114

 Expressing the sense of the Senate on humanitarian crises in Nigeria, 
                    Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                April 5 (legislative day, April 4), 2017

Mr. Young (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Coons, Mr. Rubio, 
   Mr. Boozman, Mr. Booker, and Mr. Merkley) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

                              June 5, 2017

   Reported by Mr. Corker, 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]

                           September 26, 2017

      Considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended preamble

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate on humanitarian crises in Nigeria, 
                    Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.

Whereas Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen are all in famine, pre-famine, 
        or at risk of famine in 2017;
Whereas according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of 
        Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 20,000,000 people are at risk of starvation 
        this year in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen;
Whereas, on March 22, 2017, Mr. Yves Daccord, the Director-General of the 
        International Committee of the Red Cross, testified before Congress that 
        the crisis represents ``one of the most critical humanitarian issues to 
        face mankind since the end of the Second World War'' and warned that 
        ``we are at the brink of a humanitarian mega-crisis unprecedented in 
        recent history'';
Whereas according to the United States Agency for International Development 
        (USAID), ``[m]ore than 5.1 million people face severe food insecurity in 
        northeastern Nigeria'';
Whereas according to USAID, ``An estimated 6.2 million people--more than half of 
        Somalia's total population--currently require urgent humanitarian 
        assistance.'';
Whereas according to USAID, ``An estimated 5.5 million people--nearly half of 
        South Sudan's population--will face life threatening hunger by July.'';
Whereas according to USAID, in Yemen, ``More than seventeen million people--an 
        astounding 60% of the country's population--are food insecure, including 
        seven million people who are unable to survive without food 
        assistance.'';
Whereas according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), ``[s]ome 22 
        million children have been left hungry, sick, displaced and out of 
        school in the four countries'' and ``Nearly 1.4 million are at imminent 
        risk of death this year from severe malnutrition.'';
Whereas the humanitarian crises in each of these regions are, to varying 
        degrees, man-made and preventable--exacerbated by armed conflict and 
        deliberate restrictions on humanitarian access;
Whereas parties to the conflicts, including even some government forces, have 
        harassed, attacked, and killed humanitarian workers, blocked and 
        hindered humanitarian access, and continue to deprive the world's most 
        hungry people of the food they need;
Whereas humanitarian actors, coordinated by OCHA, have appealed for 
        $5,600,000,000 in 2017 to address famines in Yemen, South Sudan, 
        Nigeria, and Somalia; and
Whereas Mr. Daccord testified before Congress on March 22, 2017, ``Our main 
        message is clear: immediate, decisive action is needed to prevent vast 
        numbers of people starving to death.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

    It is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) an urgent and comprehensive international diplomatic 
        effort is necessary to address obstacles in Nigeria, Somalia, 
        South Sudan, and Yemen that are preventing humanitarian aid 
        from being delivered to millions of people who desperately need 
        it;
            (2) the United States should encourage other governments to 
        join in providing the resources necessary to address the 
        humanitarian crises in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and 
        Yemen;
            (3) parties to the conflicts in Nigeria, Somalia, South 
        Sudan, and Yemen should allow and facilitate rapid and 
        unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need 
        and respect and protect humanitarian and medical relief 
        personnel and objects;
            (4) the United States, working with international partners, 
        should support efforts to hold accountable those responsible 
        for deliberate restrictions on humanitarian access in Nigeria, 
        Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen; and
            (5) the contributions of charities, non-profit 
        organizations, religious organizations, and businesses of the 
        United States have an important role in addressing humanitarian 
        crises.

SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this resolution shall be construed as a declaration of 
war or authorization to use force.
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