In April 2024, Congress passed, and the president signed into law, an emergency supplemental foreign aid bill that includes much-needed humanitarian assistance for the Gaza Strip and helps to sustain critical bilateral support and multilateral financing to numerous countries in crisis, including hunger hotspots such as Sudan, Somalia, Armenia, Haiti, and Ethiopia. The emergency humanitarian assistance included in this legislation will provide food, shelter, water, medical supplies, and other critical relief. This assistance will save countless lives.
This aid is critical because the situation in Gaza has dramatically escalated. The entire population of the Gaza Strip is facing severe food insecurity right now. 2.2 million people. Half—more than one million souls—are in famine-like conditions. This is the highest proportion of catastrophic hunger in any area since the UN started recording.
In Sudan, which is on track to become the world’s largest hunger crisis, one-third of the population (18 million people) face acute food insecurity. War has created the worst displacement crisis in the world along with restricting humanitarian access to populations in need.
The whole world is experiencing the worst hunger and famine crisis in a generation and conflict is a leading driver. In fact, 8 out of 10 of the world’s worst hunger crises are caused by conflict. And it is innocent people, particularly children, who suffer the most. At the same time, USAID was facing a 35 percent overall shortfall in their base funding.
I know I am not alone in feeling heartbroken – by these situations of crisis and the acts of violence that precede and stoke them.
This is why Bread for the World members and activists have been advocating so passionately and diligently for the emergency supplemental funding bills. As Christians, addressing the distress of our neighbors is woven into the very essence of our faith. We are compelled by the teachings of Jesus to offer help – and we must act.
Getting this humanitarian assistance passed is significant. We thank Congress – and I want to especially convey my gratitude to Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Chuck Schumer. I also want to thank Bread for the World members, board, and staff.
Bread for the World members have written thousands of letters and made hundreds of calls to members of Congress in response to action alerts.
Our DC-based staff have hosted numerous briefings and had countless visits and conversations with the House and Senate members and staff about the supplemental. They have led our efforts in coalitions that have sent letter after letter and organized visit after visit with members of Congress.
This is truly a community effort and a win for the humanitarian efforts.
I also want to respond to a concern that has been shared with me by some of our constituents, members of our board, and staff: the attachment of this humanitarian aid to military spending.
Our leadership team has wrestled with this tension. As fellow humans who grieve the tragedies of war and as followers of Christ, we take the words of Christ to heart: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
I want you to know that Bread has not advocated for military funding and spending. Our mission is to help our nation’s decision-makers to move towards a world without hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition. But this work is complex and challenging. While our mission is clear, we don’t get to decide how Congress passes funding for humanitarian aid. While we were disappointed to learn that humanitarian aid was attached to a military aid package, we chose to continue to advocate for humanitarian assistance because the need is so great in places like Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Yemen, Burkina Faso, and so many others.
Bread for the World has called on the White House and Congress to do all they can to bring about an end to the violence in Gaza and ensure that humanitarian aid can be safely delivered to all those who need it.
We continue to pray for peace in the region, for hostages to be returned home safely, for relief for Palestinians from war, violence, and starvation. We pray for peaceful resolution to the conflicts in Sudan and Ethiopia and Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Thank you again for being part of Bread for the World.
Thank you for your questions and pushback.
Thank you for your support and partnership.
Thank you for taking Jesus’ invitation to peacemaking, compassion, and justice to heart.
Onward,
Rev. Eugene Cho
