[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 114 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>
                                                       Calendar No. 115
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, and Mr. Booker) 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]

_______________________________________________________________________

                               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'' stages in 2017;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of 
        Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), 20,000,000 people are at risk of 
        starvation within the next six months 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 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), ``More 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), ``Some 22 
        million children have been left hungry, sick, displaced and out of 
        school in the four countries. 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, 
        disregard for international humanitarian law, and deliberate 
        restrictions on humanitarian access;
Whereas parties to the conflicts have harassed, attacked, and killed 
        humanitarian workers, blocking and hindering humanitarian access and 
        depriving the world's most hungry people of the food they need;
Whereas humanitarian actors, coordinated by UNOCHA, are appealing for 
        $5,600,000,000 in 2017 to address famines in Yemen, South Sudan, 
        Nigeria, and Somalia, $4,400,000,000 of which is required urgently; and
Whereas Mr. Daccord testified on March 22, 2017, ``Our message is clear: 
        immediate, decisive action is needed to prevent vast numbers of people 
        starving to death.'': Now, therefore, be it
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, That--
        <DELETED>    (1) it is the sense of the Senate that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) United States national security 
                interests and the values of the American people demand 
                that the United States lead an urgent and comprehensive 
                international diplomatic effort 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;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the President should encourage other 
                governments to join the United States in providing the 
                resources necessary to meet the $5,600,000,000 UNOCHA 
                appeal to address the humanitarian crises in Nigeria, 
                Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) parties to the conflicts in Nigeria, 
                Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen must respect fully 
                international humanitarian law by allowing and 
                facilitating rapid and unimpeded passage of 
                humanitarian relief for civilians in need and 
                respecting and protecting humanitarian and medical 
                relief personnel and objects; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the President, working with 
                international partners, should work to identify and 
                document violations of international humanitarian law 
                in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen seeking to 
                bring perpetrators to justice where possible; 
                and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Senate--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) urges the President, in close 
                coordination with international partners, to employ 
                every appropriate strategy to persuade the Government 
                of South Sudan to stop blocking aid for people who 
                desperately need it;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) calls on the President to notify 
                Congress without delay if the Government of South Sudan 
                does not immediately and fully respect international 
                humanitarian law so that Congress can work with the 
                President to impose additional costs on the government 
                and leaders of South Sudan for their deplorable 
                actions;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) urges the President to press the 
                Government of Nigeria to take tangible and immediate 
                steps to ensure accountability for security forces that 
                violate human rights and fail to cooperate fully with 
                international aid efforts;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) calls on the President to send the 
                Secretary of State or other high level representative 
                to attend the upcoming United Kingdom's Ministerial 
                Conference on Somalia and publicly announce a 
                contribution to the humanitarian assistance efforts 
                which will help leverage other international donors; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) urges the President to work urgently 
                with stakeholders to persuade parties to conflict in 
                Yemen to permit humanitarian groups increased access to 
                Red Sea ports like Hodeida to deliver much-needed 
                assistance to vulnerable communities.</DELETED>
That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the United States should lead an urgent and 
        comprehensive international diplomatic effort 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 the United States 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; and
            (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.




                                                       Calendar No. 115

115th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                              S. RES. 114

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                              June 5, 2017

      Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble