Please help.
Tomorrow, the Senate Appropriations Committee is going to vote on the Agriculture Appropriations Bill which the House of Representatives passed in June, and which cuts emergency food funds by 75% from their 2008 levels. 13 million people are affected by the current famine in the Horn of Africa, and House Republicans voted to provide less aid. This is unconscionable.
From the World Food Program:
Drought in the Horn of Africa, combined with conflict and high food prices in Somalia, has contributed to a humanitarian crisis affecting 13 million people in the region. Conditions in southern Somalia have deteriorated to the point that famine has been declared. Furthermore, millions of children are suffering from undernutrition; these nutrient deficiencies impair mental and physical development in children and can result in lifelong health problems.
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In light of this crisis, the U.S. government has emerged as one of the largest donors of humanitarian assistance to the region, providing about $459 million this fiscal year to help refugees, families affected by drought and strength food security in the region. Last week, the U.S. announced it is providing an additional $21 million contribution to WFP’s work in Somalia. U.S. assistance has also gone beyond immediate needs to support programs that build regional capacity to handle future droughts through investments in programs like Feed the Future.
Despite the importance of U.S. emergency assistance to save lives when disasters strike, several the House of Representatives has recently proposed drastic cuts to American humanitarian assistance. The House passed an Agricultural Appropriations Bill that cut emergency food assistance by 75 percent from 2008 levels. In the subcommittee mark up of the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, the account that funds emergency food assistance was cut by 12 percent.
Action Item: Starving Somalians Need A Moment of Your Time… Tonight [Updated!]Post + Comments (29)