EMAIL DETAILS

New report on hunger and instability/Stephen Hadley on food and Sandy Berger’s legacy/Meager rainfall in Somalia
https://wfpusa.org/
WFP USA Bi-Weekly Bulletin

December 13, 2017

As the year comes to a close, we’d like to thank you for your commitment to working with us to achieve a world without hunger. This will be our final bi-weekly bulletin of the year — with deep appreciation, we share this thank you video (https://wfpusa.org/thanks/?utm_campaign=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&idb=0&utm_source=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_content=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_medium=email) highlighting some of the World Food Programme (WFP)’s lifesaving work in 2017. From giving children in school a nourishing meal to stopping famine in its tracks, this wouldn’t have been possible without the bipartisan commitment of Congress.

Key Takeaways
* WFP USA released a new report that shows how food insecurity contributes to global instability, serving as a key driver of several high-profile conflicts and representing a threat to U.S. national security interests. "Winning the Peace: Hunger and Instability," (https://wfpusa.org/winningthepeace/?utm_campaign=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&idb=0&utm_source=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_content=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_medium=email) surfaces at least 11 drivers of food insecurity — from land competition and food price spikes to rainfall variability — linked to 9 distinct types of instability, ranging from peaceful protest to violent interstate conflict. The report argues for robust development and humanitarian resources and comprehensive food security programming to complement U.S. diplomatic and defense initiatives.
* Ensuring people have the food they need to thrive in stable nations is critical to global stability. This was the focus of a discussion with former National Security Advisor to Pres. George W. Bush, Stephen Hadley, at Monday’s Second Annual Samuel R. Berger Lecture series hosted by WFP USA at the Council on Foreign Relations. "Sandy" Berger demonstrated a sincere and unwavering commitment to humanity, especially families struggling to overcome hunger and poverty across the globe. "If you can't eat, that's the need that needs to be satisfied before any next step," Hadley said. Read the event recap. (https://wfpusa.org/articles/stephen-hadley-talks-food-security-and-national-security-at-2nd-annual-berger-lecture/?utm_campaign=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&idb=0&utm_source=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_content=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_medium=email)

Emergency Updates
* SOMALIA: Rains during the Deyr season (October-December) are proving to be below average. October rainfall was about 50 percent below average in most areas and erratically distributed. This marks the fourth consecutive poor rainy season in Somalia. As a result, the outlook for April-June 2018 is poor, and food security could deteriorate further, increasing the number of those in need of life-saving food assistance. Roughly 3.1 million people face dangerous levels of hunger. The threat of famine persists for over 800,000 people, especially people who have been displaced and are in rural areas. As many as 388,000 children under five are malnourished. In some areas, a third of children under 5 are malnourished. WFP reached 2.5 million people in October in the worst-affected areas of Somalia with a mix of food, vouchers and nutrition assistance – a fivefold increase over January.
* NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA: According to a new survey, half as many people are now suffering from extreme hunger as did in June-August. But without continued and expanded assistance, the number could go back up to 3.7 million by mid-2018, including 12,000 at risk of famine. Overall, 34 percent of households are hungry in the the three northeastern states. Multiple challenges — including insecurity, poor road conditions and congestion at Lagos port — are complicating food deliveries. WFP has been assisting more than a million people a month with food and cash transfers and is preparing a longer-term strategy to support Nigeria’s economic recovery and growth plan. There is heavy emphasis on investing in social protection systems and resilience building, especially for small-scale farmers. Separate from WFP’s response, the Nigerian government has launched a relief initiative: quarterly distributions of 35,000 metric tons of food to 1.8 million people in six states.
* BANGLADESH: The Government of Bangladesh, international partners and local communities in Cox’s Bazar have responded robustly to the needs of hundreds of thousands of people arriving from Myanmar. Kutupalong is fast becoming the biggest refugee camp in the world. Surveys show alarming malnutrition rates in Kutupalong, with one in four Rohingya children suffering from malnutrition. WFP has provided food (rice, lentils and oil) to around 700,000 people. A new bridge has been built by WFP to open up new routes to get lifesaving food closer to families. WFP will be matching food baskets to family size better — giving larger ration packs to bigger families — and locally sourced fresh foods will diversify refugees’ diets. But food alone is not enough to beat malnutrition. The camp needs improved health, sanitation and hygiene. Two-thirds of the families WFP spoke to reported cases of diarrhea.

Innovation
* ALGERIA: Working with engineers and other specialists, WFP has developed an innovative, low-tech system to grow barley for use as animal fodder by refugees in camps in Algeria. Based on hydroponics — the cultivation of plants without soil — it is a cost- and time-efficient method, requiring 80 percent less water than traditional agriculture. These hydroponic units can be built with local materials and are easy to maintain, allowing families to grow fodder in just seven days. Preliminary results point to an increase of goat milk and meat production and a decrease in young livestock mortality. "[These units] are simple, cost-effective and they match with these refugee identities as nomads who value their livestock," said WFP’s Executive Director David Beasley on his recent two day-trip to Algeria. "This innovation will not only help people in these refugee camps, it can support food-insecure families living in harsh conditions anywhere." Learn more.
(http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/wfp-eexecutive-director-visits-algeria-including-camp-western-sahara-refugees?utm_campaign=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&idb=0&utm_source=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_content=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_medium=email)

Listen Now
* MOZAMBIQUE: When a historic drought struck Mozambique last year, the nation’s farmers found themselves plunged into hunger. So how did the World Food Programme help pull the country back from the brink? In the last in a two-part series on WFP USA’s Hacking Hunger podcast, host M.J. Altman shares five unique voices — a farmer, an aid worker, a teacher, a student and a father — who found themselves on the front lines of this slow-motion natural disaster and a massive and artfully timed humanitarian operation that saved millions of lives, including theirs. Listen now to Part 2 (https://wfpusa.org/hacking-hunger-podcast/?utm_campaign=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&idb=0&utm_source=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_content=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_medium=email) and Part 1.
(https://www.wfpusa.org/articles/hacking-hunger-episode-23-on-the-brink-in-mozambique-part-1/?utm_campaign=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&idb=0&utm_source=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_content=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_medium=email)

What We're Reading
* In an op-ed for The Hill, Congressman Dwight Evans writes about transferring the lessons learned from the successes of the domestic SNAP program and applying them to safety net development abroad. "Food policy is our foreign policy — and this year’s Farm Bill cycle offers a unique opportunity to reinforce this idea. The next Farm Bill should expand the authority for the USDA — particularly the Food and Nutrition Service — to provide technical assistance for the development of food-based social safety net systems in developing countries." Read the op-ed. (http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/363072-tackling-hunger-at-home-and-abroad-because-our-food-policy?utm_campaign=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&idb=0&utm_source=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_content=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_medium=email)

Resources

Visit WFP USA's Policy Resources page for a comprehensive list of global food security reports, agency publications, legislation, GAO and CRS reports, and much more. Read more. (https://www.wfpusa.org/us-policy/policy-resources/?utm_campaign=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&idb=0&utm_source=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_content=UNR1712EMPOLICYENEWS171213&utm_medium=email)

About World Food Program USA

WFP USA supports the mission of the World Food Programme, the leading humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. By mobilizing individuals, lawmakers and businesses in the U.S. to advance the global movement to end hunger, we bolster an enduring American legacy of feeding families in need around the world.

1725 I Street NW, Suite 510 (#) | Washington, DC 20006 | Fax (202) 530-1698 (#)
| GENERAL INQUIRIES (202) 627-3737 (#)
https://wfpusa.org/ https://www.facebook.com/WFPUSA/ https://twitter.com/WFPUSA http://ow.ly/jdPn3043SWL https://www.instagram.com/wfpusa/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-food-program-usa https://www.youtube.com/user/WorldFoodProgramUSA
World Food Program USA is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) public charity (tax ID# 13-3843435)

This email was sent to hbiden@rosemontseneca.com (mailto:hbiden@rosemontseneca.com)
why did I get this? (https://wfpusa.us17.list-manage.com/about?u=d5f728f283d83325b67efcdbf&id=02fb3868c8&e=0ee65d5d27&c=18508b5c9b) unsubscribe from this list (https://wfpusa.us17.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=d5f728f283d83325b67efcdbf&id=02fb3868c8&e=0ee65d5d27&c=18508b5c9b) update subscription preferences (https://wfpusa.us17.list-manage.com/profile?u=d5f728f283d83325b67efcdbf&id=02fb3868c8&e=0ee65d5d27)
World Food Program USA . 1725 I Street, NW, STE 510 . Washington, DC 20006 . USA

Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp
http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=monkey_rewards&aid=d5f728f283d83325b67efcdbf&afl=3