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If you have not already shared Sandy's oped from Foreign Policy ?with friends, colleagues and thought leaders, please use the following "5 key takeaways" as draft copy -- which includes the link to Sandy's blog -- in your note. As Tony rightly noted, we want to get the core messages across to folks in case they don't read the op-ed in full.

I'm also attaching two infographics that we're going to share on social media throughout this week and next. If you'd like to RT @WFPUSA, please do. If you'd like to use these on your own accounts, please do. If you need draft language for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc -- just let me know.

Thanks for your support,
Erin

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Today, WFP USA's board member, Sandy Berger, published an op-ed in Foreign Policy <https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/10/food-security-wfp-unicef-islamic-state-syria-refugee/> about the "new normal" facing the U.S. and the international community -- a steady and unrelenting increase in humanitarian needs combined with a rapidly growing shortfall in the resources required to meet these rising demands. Below are five points I see as key takeaways from Sandy's compelling piece:


1) Today, a staggering 78 million<http://reliefweb.int/report/world/under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-valerie-7> people worldwide need urgent assistance for food and shelter. This reflects a steady increase, up from approximately 30 million in 2006 and 65 million<http://www.unocha.org/what-we-do/policy/resources/world-humanitarian-data-and-trends-2013> in 2012.


2) Last year, only 52%<http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/12/08/249416/un-makes-new-appeal-for-humanitarian.html> of the U.N.'s overall appeals for humanitarian assistance were met. The U.S. can be proud that it is by far the world's largest humanitarian donor. Nevertheless, the U.S. can do more. The politics in Washington are difficult, although there has been consistent bipartisan consensus over the last several years on the importance of humanitarian assistance.


3) The U.S. should view the challenges posed by the great humanitarian needs as threats to our own national security. The U.S. should reshape and supplement the Overseas Contingency Operations portions of the foreign assistance budget intended for war zones and deploy them through existing distribution channels, for basic relief in countries likely to become conflict zones or terrorist havens if their governments are unable to meet the basic needs of their people.


4) New funding mechanisms are also needed to meet these enormous demands. One idea is a small surcharge on airline tickets. For example, France's "solidarity tax<http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Solidarity-tax-on-aircraft-tickets.html>" - as little as $1 per economy class airplane ticket - has raised over $1 billion since its inception to raise funds for drugs to fight AIDS, malaria, and other diseases in the developing world.


5) U.S. allies in the Gulf can do more to strengthen international relief efforts, particularly in the Middle East, while continuing to contribute to targeted Islamic relief groups such as International Blue Crescent<https://ibc.org.tr/en/index.php>. More should be done to encourage countries in the region to strengthen the efforts of international groups like WFP and UNICEF that serve a more universal population, have greater transparency, and have the most efficient economies of scale.?