Washington, D.C., March 23, 2024 – Bread for the World released the following statement on passage of the final fiscal year 2024 “minibus” budget bill, which includes funding levels for some humanitarian aid and foreign assistance programs. The statement can be attributed to Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World:
“Bread for the World welcomes the modest funding increases for global nutrition in the final FY 24 ‘minibus’ budget package. While the overall funding levels for development and humanitarian programs fall significantly short of the need, the increase in global nutrition will help ensure many more women and children receive critical assistance.
“We thank the thousands of Bread members and supporters who have contacted their members of Congress and urged them to increase funding for humanitarian aid. Without their faithful advocacy, we could be in a much different funding situation.
“Our world is facing an ever-worsening hunger and malnutrition crisis. Almost 45 million children suffer from acute malnutrition, and malnutrition is attributed to nearly half of all preventable deaths among children under five. Tens of millions of people across multiple regions are on the verge of, or in some cases now in the grip of, famine. Countless numbers of people, the majority of which will be children, could die within a matter of weeks or months without immediate assistance.
“Bread urges Congress to meet the urgency and challenges of these ongoing crises by funding humanitarian and nutrition assistance at levels that accurately reflect the need. These investments will both save lives and help create stability.
“Lawmakers can begin by passing an emergency humanitarian supplemental funding package as soon as they return from recess to address the multiple ongoing and emerging famines. They should also increase global nutrition funding in the fiscal year 2025 budget to $300 million to bring an end to preventable deaths and help millions of children lead healthy and productive lives.
“’We must not withhold good from those whom it is due, when it is in our power to act,’ (Proverbs 3:27).”
