We cannot be satisfied with a world that is half fed and half starved

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy declared at the United Nations World Food Conference that “world peace and progress cannot be sustained in a world that is half fed and half hungry.” Sixty years later, this simple truth resonates more deeply than ever. The United States must remember the words of our former president and increase investment, not decrease efforts and resources, to fight world hunger.

The situation is dire. Hundreds of millions of people around the world face hunger and starvation due to conflict and the climate crisis. Food systems in Africa and the Middle East, already under strain, have been further strained by the war in Ukraine, once one of the world’s largest grain producers. The escalating conflict between Hamas and Israel poses new threats to the food security of neighboring countries. There are already millions of displaced and vulnerable people living there who will not be able to cope with another wave of hunger.

We cannot stand by and watch millions more join the ranks of those already at risk of hunger. The grim numbers speak for themselves. Around the world, 333 million people go to bed without knowing when or if they will eat again. That’s more than the entire population of the United States. More than 47 million people are on the brink of starvation and in urgent need of life-saving assistance.

This is a humanitarian necessity, but also a security threat. When we fail to meet the needs of the world’s most vulnerable people, it poses threats to national security and creates an environment that breeds conflict and terrorism.

Simply put, if we don’t feed the hungry, we create instability and chaos that spills over into our home countries.

Parents make every effort to support their families. they will take up arms. They move until they find food. They will join extremist organizations for food or cash, even if they don’t believe in the dangerous ideology the group espouses.

But for now, donors around the world are tightening their belts when they should be resting in the fight against hunger. While this attitude may appeal to the short-term benefits of cutting budgets and conserving scarce funds, it will likely backfire. As donors around the world withdraw, we will have to take donations from the hungry to feed the hungry, halting efforts to stop future hunger and dramatically increasing future costs and risks. increases to.

We’ve heard arguments for increased defense funding and security assistance, but we won’t be safe unless we also support innocent civilians trapped in conflict zones. For lawmakers who argue that it is in the national interest to spend nothing on humanitarian programs, the decades-long history of food protests shaping political movements, sparking riots, and fueling violent unrest around the world is a big deal. Just look back and you’ll realize how short a time it was. The inability to feed the hungry has been witnessed.

The United States, in particular, has long led the global fight to end hunger. Both Republicans and Democrats have been committed to funding international food aid programs at the highest level since World War II. This has always been because doing so directly benefits Americans. From America’s farmers, who provide critical food supplies as support to American businesses benefiting from agriculture-led economic growth, extending a helping hand to those who need it most, even if they are not Americans, is an important part of America’s leading to economic and security interests. This is why Washington and capitals around the world must act more aggressively and secure stronger funding to combat food insecurity everywhere.

At the same time, we must learn the lessons of this crisis and prioritize long-term investments to build more resilient food systems that can absorb shocks and protect against future food insecurity. New approaches to food assistance are critical, including efforts to expand public-private partnerships, foster agricultural development, and leverage the private sector more effectively to improve food systems and supply chains.

In this time of unprecedented crisis, we cannot settle for a world that is half fed and half hungry. We must come together and work together to avoid the real and dangerous risk of widespread hunger in the coming months. As President Kennedy recognized many years ago, peace and progress depend on it.

Cindy McCain is the executive director of the United Nations World Food Program in Rome, and Chris Coons is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.