Since 2019, the number of people who face acute food insecurity has almost tripled from 135 million to 345 million. Food prices have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine only made matters worse. These factors, coupled with a historic drought, have pushed millions of people to the brink of famine in Somalia, where a child is hospitalized for acute malnutrition every minute.

The United State has stepped up to provide emergency food relief, including specific resources for the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya), several times this year. But as a whole this urgent crisis has not received the international response it merits. We can, and must, do more.

That includes passing the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022. Since it was passed in 2016, the bipartisan GFSA has played a key role in addressing the root causes of food insecurity and, through the Feed the Future program, has helped lift millions of families out of hunger. But the bill is about to expire, putting those vital resources and programs at risk. The House of Representatives has already passed a bill to reauthorize GFSA. Now, it’s the Senate’s turn.

Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden, you can show your support for the fight against hunger by co-sponsoring S. 4649, the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act. We have the tools to help lessen the severity of this crisis and, with millions knocking at famine’s door, we cannot afford to wait.

Craig Rottman

Portland