Biden’s stimulus plan must fight hunger here and abroad

As President Biden and Congress negotiate the next stimulus/relief package, it’s urgent they include food aid. We must feed hungry Americans and also extend food assistance overseas to countries on the brink of starvation.

Hunger at home has escalated during the pandemic with many families suffering job loss from coronavirus-related closings. The long lines at food banks sadly demonstrate this. Feeding America says the number of people impacted by hunger reached 50 million in 2020. A year before that number was 35 million.

A new relief bill should support food stamps, also known as SNAP, free school lunches and other programs that can alleviate hunger. Needy children should be assured three meals a day.

Feeding America says: “Children need more access to Child Nutrition programs to meet their nutritional needs, and food banks need more food purchases through the federal food distribution programs and funding for programs that ensure they have enough food to keep plates full.”

We cannot have a malnourished population, especially during a pandemic. Public health needs a foundation of nutrition for everyone.

We know how devastating the pandemic has been to America in terms of increasing hunger. The coronavirus has also dramatically increased hunger in countries that were already mired in conflict, drought and poverty.

The UN World Food Program warns that 270 million people worldwide are at risk of starvation. War-torn Yemen is in desperate condition as WFP has been forced to reduce rations because of low funding.

The WFP director, David Beasley, says that in Yemen: “We’re struggling now to feed 13 million people. And if we’re struggling with 13 million people, and we don’t have the money, and the access and the tools that we need, then what do you think’s going to happen? … How are they going to get food? How are they going to get fuel? How are they going to get medicine? It is going to be a catastrophe … we’re going to have a catastrophe on our hands.”

It’s urgent that funding be increased to help Yemen and the other countries on the brink of famine. South Sudan, Burkina Faso, D.R. of Congo, Afghanistan, Madagascar and many others are also suffering from severe hunger.

Small children are at risk of deadly malnutrition in these countries, but they could be saved with therapeutic foods like Plumpy’nut. School meal programs would allow children to keep learning instead of being forced to spend the day searching for food.

The relief agencies need funding to carry out these life-saving programs. Right now funding is too low for this crisis, but the relief package could help change that.

At home you can help by writing to your representative in Congress urging food for the hungry at home and overseas.