Since 2019, the number of people who go to bed hungry each night has almost tripled from 135 million to 345 million. Food prices have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine has exacerbated this and, coupled with historic drought, these factors have pushed millions of people to the brink of famine in Somalia, where a child is hospitalized for acute malnutrition every minute.
The U.S. stepped up to provide emergency food relief to Somalia. Still, this urgent crisis has not received the international response it merits. We can and should do more.
Mainers, pragmatic and empathetic, have always supported the values of dispensing emergency food relief when natural disasters strike. Providing emergency food relief on this scale includes passing the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022. Since 2016, the bipartisan GFSA has played a key role in addressing root causes of food insecurity and the Feed the Future program, has helped lift millions out of hunger. This bill is about to expire, putting vital resources and programs at risk. The House of Representatives already passed a bill to reauthorize GFSA. Now, it’s the Senate’s turn. Sens. Collins and King can show Maine’s commitment and support in the fight against hunger by co-sponsoring it.
We have the tools and networks to lessen the severity of this crisis. With millions knocking at famine’s door, we cannot afford to wait.
Michelle Amato
Gorham
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