ReliefWeb

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McCarthy, Minority Leader McConnell, Chairwoman DeLauro, Chairman Leahy, Vice Chairman Shelby, and Ranking Member Granger:
As organizations that implement and support poverty-focused health, development, and humanitarian programs, we are deeply concerned by the intertwined global crises of COVID-19 and the dramatic rise in hunger and food insecurity exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. These twin crises require immediate U.S. global leadership and resources, without which we risk even greater humanitarian, social, and economic suffering and protracted political instability.

We call on Congress to appropriate $5 billion in emergency resources to address food insecurity and humanitarian crises exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine and $5 billion for the global COVID-19 response.

We urge Congress to provide at least $5 billion in supplemental funding for urgent humanitarian, food security, and nutrition needs globally in addition to the already requested funds for Ukraine. Global food insecurity was dire prior to the war in Ukraine, driving wheat prices to unprecedented levels and causing global supply chain disruptions. The Horn of Africa and the Sahel were experiencing some of the worst droughts in decades, putting more than two million children at risk of starvation. Estimates suggest that the war in Ukraine could push an additional 40 million people into poverty and food insecurity globally. We welcome the extraordinary step taken on April 27, 2022, by USAID and USDA to fully draw down the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust to address these impacts. Still, more is needed quickly as food, treatment for malnutrition, fuel, and shipping costs continue to rise. Resources will take months to get to the field, let alone on people’s plates.

We also urge Congress to immediately provide at least $5 billion for global COVID-19 response. Previously appropriated funds to address the global pandemic have been exhausted. Yet, there is still an urgent need to reduce senseless deaths and preventable negative health consequences from COVID-19, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The primary and secondary impacts of COVID-19 continue to threaten a decade of U.S. foreign assistance investments. In several countries, twice as many women and children have died due to disruptions to the health system as they have due to COVID-19. Unless we act now, the global response will falter and leave the world prone to the emergence of new variants that will increase costs as we face the need for boosters, overburdened health systems, and other challenges of a prolonged pandemic. At least $5 billion in additional resources is urgently needed to deliver vaccinations and other life-saving interventions and support for frontline healthcare workers to bring this pandemic to an end.

The global shocks of the food insecurity crisis and the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 are compounding global humanitarian emergencies. We urge Congress to meet the gravity of this moment by providing $5 billion in emergency resources to address food insecurity and humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine, and an additional $5 billion for the global COVID-19 response.

Sincerely,

Undersigned Organizations

1,000 Days

Academic Pediatric Association

Action Against Hunger

ADRA International

Advancing Synergy

Alliance for Peacebuilding

Alliance to End Hunger

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Jewish World Service

American Pediatric Society

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Amref Health Africa

Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs

AVAC

Be a Hero

Better World Campaign

Bread for the World

CARE

Center for Global Health Innovation

Christian Connections for International Health

Church World Service

Concern Worldwide US

Corus International

Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), North America

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Ex-Miners Association of Malawi

Fast-Track Cities Institute

Food for the Hungry

Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Friends of UNFPA

GAIA Global Health

Global Citizen

Global Communities

Global Health Council

Global Health Technologies Coalition

Global Network of Black People Working in HIV

GOAL USA

Health GAP

Helen Keller Intl

HelpAge USA

HIAS

HIV Medicine Association

Humanity & Inclusion

Humentum

IAVI

Infectious Diseases Society of America

InterAction

International Association of Providers of AIDS Care

International Medical Corps

Internews

IntraHealth International

IPAS

Islamic Relief USA

John Snow, Inc. (JSI)

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

Last Mile Health

Management Sciences for Health

MAP International

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Medical Impact

Mennonite Central Committee U.S.

Mercy Corps

National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

North Carolina Global Health Alliance

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) USA

ONE

One Acre Fund

Oxfam America

PAI

Pandemic Action Network

Partners in Health

PATH

Pathfinder International

Physicians for Peace

Plan International USA

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

PrEP4All

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Public Citizen

R2H Action [Right to Health]

Refugees International

RESULTS

Sabin Vaccine Institute

Save the Children

Shot@Life

Solidarity Center

Southern African Miners Association (SAMA)

SPOON

Stop TB USA

Swaziland Migrant Mineworkers Association (SWAMMIWA)

The Borgen Project

The Campaign to End Covid Now

The Episcopal Church

The Task Force for Global Health

Together Women Rise

Training for Health Equity Network: THEnet

UNICEF USA

United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries

United Nations Association of the USA

United to Beat Malaria

University Research & Co., LLC

UNRWA USA

Water for South Sudan, Inc

WaterAid America

Women for Women International

Women’s Refugee Commission

World Learning

World Vision

Wote Youth Development Projects