[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 20, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONDEMNING THE USE OF HUNGER AS A WEAPON OF WAR AND RECOGNIZING THE
EFFECT OF CONFLICT ON GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY AND FAMINE
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 434, S. Res.
669.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 669) condemning the use of hunger as
a weapon of war and recognizing the effect of conflict on
global food security and famine.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign
Relations, with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause
and insert the part printed in italic and with an amendment to strike
the preamble and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
Whereas, in 2020, an estimated 155,000,000 people
experienced crisis levels of food insecurity (Integrated Food
Security Phase Classification phase 3 or above), with nearly
100,000,000 people living in environments where conflict was
the main driver of hunger, and the COVID-19 pandemic has
exacerbated rising levels of global food insecurity;
Whereas conflict acutely impacts vulnerable populations
such as women and children, persons with disabilities,
refugees, and internally displaced persons;
Whereas the impacts of conflict on food security can be
direct, such as displacement from land, destruction of
livestock grazing areas and fishing grounds, or destruction
of food stocks and agricultural assets, or indirect, such as
disruptions to food systems, leading to increased food prices
or decreased household purchasing power, or decreased access
to supplies that are necessary for food production and
preparation, including agricultural inputs, water, and fuel;
Whereas conflict disrupts the distribution and buying and
selling of food within a food system, including by creating
shortages in production, increasing real and perceived risks
for travel and transport, enabling the formation of illegal
distribution channels and markets, and contributing to the
breakdown of a government's ability to enforce regulations or
perform its judiciary functions;
Whereas aerial bombing campaigns targeting agricultural
heartlands, and the use of scorched earth methods of warfare,
landmines, and other explosive devices have direct impacts on
the ability of vulnerable populations to feed themselves;
Whereas effective humanitarian response in conflict,
including in response to the threat of conflict-induced
famine and food insecurity, requires respect for
international humanitarian law by all parties to such
conflict, and allowing and facilitating the rapid and
unimpeded movement of humanitarian relief to all those in
need;
Whereas efforts to restrict humanitarian aid and the
operational integrity and impartiality of humanitarian aid
works and distribution efforts, including through the
imposition of blockades, security impediments, or irregular
bureaucratic requirements, are another means by which
combatants employ starvation and food deprivation as a weapon
of war; and
Whereas the United States Government has multiple tools to
fight global hunger, protect lifesaving assistance, and
promote the prevention of conflict, including through the
Global Fragility Act of 2019 (title V of division J of Public
Law 116-94), the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (Public Law
114-195), and the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public
Law 115-334), and has the potential to hold accountable those
using hunger as a weapon of war through the Global Magnitsky
Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of
Public Law 114-328): Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
That the Senate--
SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE.
The Senate--
(1) condemns the use of hunger as a weapon of war through
the--
(A) starvation of civilians;
(B) intentional and reckless destruction, removal, looting,
or rendering useless objects necessary for food production
and distribution, such as farmland, markets, mills, food
processing and storage facilities, foodstuffs, crops,
livestock, agricultural assets, waterways, water systems,
drinking water facilities and supplies, and irrigation
networks;
(C) denial of humanitarian access and the deprivation of
objects indispensable to people's survival, such as food
supplies and nutrition resources; and
(D) willful interruption of market systems for populations
in need, including through the prevention of travel and
manipulation of currency exchange; and
(2) calls on the United States Government to--
(A) prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out and address
instances where hunger and intentional deprivation of food is
being utilized as a weapon of war, including through efforts
to ensure that security operations minimize civilian harm and
do not undermine livelihoods of civilian populations;
(B) continue efforts to address severe global food
insecurity through effective humanitarian response efforts,
including through the provision of United States in-kind food
assistance, vouchers, and other flexible food aid modalities;
(C) ensure existing interagency strategies, crisis response
efforts, and ongoing programs consider, integrate, and adapt
to conflict situations, including by utilizing crisis
modifiers in United States Agency for International
Development programming to respond to rapid shocks and stress
such as the willful targeting of food systems; and
(D) ensure that the use of hunger as a weapon of war is
considered within the employment of tools to hold
individuals, governments, militias, or entities responsible,
such as the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act
(22 U.S.C. 2656), where appropriate, and taking into
consideration the need for humanitarian exemptions and the
protection of lifesaving assistance.
SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this resolution shall be construed as
authorizing the use of military force or the introduction of
United States forces into hostilities.
Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was
agreed to.
Mr. SCHUMER. I know of no further debate on the resolution, as
amended.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
Hearing none, the question is on agreeing to the resolution, as
amended.
The resolution (S. Res. 669), as amended, was agreed to.
Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
substitute to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be
agreed to; and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid
upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble in the nature of a
substitute was agreed to.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
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