[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 140 (Wednesday, October 17, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S10788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I decided today is the day I want to 
speak to the Senate. Tomorrow I am going to submit a resolution, and 
then I want to make this resolution an amendment and have a vote on it 
at the first opportunity. The focus is on the humanitarian crisis in 
Afghanistan. It will be a resolution that will be constructive, 
positive, and outline some of the steps that this administration and we 
as a nation can take to make sure hundreds of thousands, perhaps 
millions, of people do not starve to death in Afghanistan.
  The problem is twofold. The reports are that there are about 7.5 
million people who will starve to death if we do not get food 
assistance to them. Some of the Afghan people are going to be able to 
get to refugee camps in Pakistan. The problem there is the conditions 
in the refugee camps. The conditions are deplorable, and we are going 
to have to do much more to make sure people are provided food 
assistance and some health care.
  The second problem is the elderly, the infirm, and the poorest people 
of Afghanistan are not going to be able to leave. This needs to be 
discussed on the floor of the Senate, and the Senate needs to focus on 
this issue. I am also trying to get the administration to focus much 
more on this as well.
  The truth of the matter is that the air drops that have been much 
discussed at best may help 1 percent, probably more like one-half of 1 
percent of the people, many of whom are women and children.
  We will not be able to get food to people unless we do it through 
truck convoys and deliver it to them directly. If we do not get the 
food to the people in Afghanistan--we are talking about the people who 
are the poorest of the poor of the world who had nothing to do with the 
terrorist attacks against the people in our country--if we do not get 
the food to them in the next 4 weeks, then we are going to see in 
Afghanistan a humanitarian crisis of unthinkable proportions. We are 
going to see many innocent people starve to death.
  There are two problems. The first problem is this is not what we are 
about as a nation. It is inconsistent with our values to not make every 
effort possible to get the food to people and, second, it is a matter 
of our national interest because if, in fact, the people in the Near 
East and South Asia associate or see a direct linkage between our 
military action and then large numbers of people starving to death in 
Afghanistan, it will only create a tremendous amount of bitterness and 
ill will. There is absolutely no question about it.
  I have always said that the use of force is something we have to do. 
It should be directed at the people who committed this act of mass 
murder in our country. We should do everything we know how to make sure 
innocent people do not lose their lives.
  The truth is, I worry about that, but there are going to be a lot 
more innocent people who lose their lives through starvation than 
probably through this bombing campaign. We could be talking about 
hundreds of thousands, some say millions, of people.
  The resolution contains a number of items, but one I want to focus 
on--and I think we need to pay very close attention to--is what the 
NGOs, the nongovernmental organizations, organizations such as Doctors 
Without Borders, tell us because these are the people who have been in 
the trenches. They know what it is like to try to deliver food 
assistance. They are saying we have to figure out a way that the 
military action, which some have called for an end to--that is not what 
I am calling for as a Senator. Others have argued what we have to do, 
at the very least, is coordinate the military action, the bombing, with 
the truck convoys; otherwise, the truck convoys will not go in because 
they could mistakenly be bombed.
  I am not sure our Government would want them to go in because we do 
not want them mistakenly bombed. We have to figure out some way to have 
agreed-upon safe corridors where people who are delivering the food 
through truck convoys will be able to get the food to many people in 
Afghanistan who are suffering, the likes of which we would never want 
anybody we know or love to suffer.
  I talk about this today because we have not had that much focus on 
it. I will have a resolution tomorrow. I will try to write a piece. I 
will try to talk about this as much as I can to people in the country. 
It would be a terrible mistake for our Government, for this 
administration--and I think we need more clarity from the 
administration about how we are going to get the food to the people in 
Afghanistan.
  The President has talked about how children have committed money and 
clothes to the children of Afghanistan. That is fine and good, but the 
truth is that will not address this humanitarian crisis, nor will the 
air drops.
  We have to make sure the people get the food. If we do not do this 
the right way, if we do not get this job done, if we do not deliver the 
food to people there, then there is going to be massive starvation. 
That is unacceptable. That is unacceptable.
  I am quite sure there is no support from the Taliban. They are not 
helpful. It is a complicated problem, but this should be a first 
priority of our policy right now when it comes to the United States of 
America and the role we play in Afghanistan, the role we play in the 
Near East, the role we play in South Asia, the role we play in the 
world.
  We cannot let innocent people starve to death. We must make every 
effort to make sure that does not happen, and I think to date we have 
not made that kind of concerted effort.
  The only other thing I want to do, because I know we are about to 
finish, is to thank the majority leader, the minority leader, the 
Presiding Officer, and Senators for making sure we continue with our 
work. It goes down on the record so I will just say it one time.
  I am no big deal at all, but I am very lucky to be a Senator from 
Minnesota. I am a first-generation American. My father fled persecution 
from Ukraine, Russia. I do not think I can ever remember a day or a 
period of time when I have been more emotional when I look at the 
Capitol. I think the work of democracy should proceed. We do not always 
do it as well as we should, but the work of democracy should proceed. I 
am glad we are in session today. I am glad we are going to be in 
session tomorrow. I think it is important we do so.
  My hopes and prayers go to all who have been exposed to anthrax. I 
feel within me people will be all right, but my hopes and prayers go to 
everyone.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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