[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S6191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     S. RES. 114--PRINT CORRECTION

  On Tuesday, September 26, 2017, the Senate adopted S. Res. 114, as 
amended, with its preamble, as amended. The corrected text is as 
follows:

                              S. Res. 114

       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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