Washington, D.C., June 26, 2024 – Bread for the World released the following statement urging lawmakers to oppose proposed funding cuts to development and humanitarian assistance programs included in the House of Representative’s Fiscal Year 2025 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPs) Appropriations Act.
The statement can be attributed to Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World:
“The dramatic funding cuts included in this legislation would have a significant impact on our country’s ability to respond to, and prevent, current and emerging hunger and famine crises in Sudan, Gaza, Haiti, Armenia, Burkina Faso, and many other countries and regions. We urge lawmakers to ensure humanitarian assistance programs are adequately funded.”
Specifically, if enacted as is, the House legislation would:
- Cut the overall SFOPs allotment by more than 11 percent below the fiscal year 2024 level.
- Cut USAID’s operating expenses by $480 million below the FY 2024 level.
- Cut funding for development assistance by $931 million below the FY 2024 level.
- Cut funding for international disaster assistance by $1.3 billion below the FY 2024 level.
- Cut funding for programs addressing global maternal and child health and infectious diseases by $362 million below the FY 2024 level.
- Cut funding for international financial institutions by $583 million below the FY 2024 level.
- Defund a host of institutions at the United Nations, including UNICEF, and prohibit support for the WHO and UNFPA.
- Prohibit funding for programs addressing climate change, one of the primary causes of hunger, including the Green Climate Fund, the Clean Technology Fund, and implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement.
“At a time when the world is experiencing the greatest hunger and famine crisis in a generation, cutting funding for these critical organizations and programs would impact hundreds of millions of lives, particularly women and children.
“Bread members and supporters were thankful for the passage of emergency humanitarian assistance in April and hope lawmakers will go back to the table to approach this vital funding legislation with the same level of thoughtfulness and concern for our global neighbors in need. ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40 NIV).
“Again, we urge lawmakers to ensure humanitarian assistance programs are adequately funded to at least 2024 levels and reject amendments that would make additional cuts to the committee’s allocations or otherwise hinder the lifesaving work of USAID, the UN, and other partner organizations.”
Read more: Bread’s Response to Hunger Hotspots in Gaza and Around the World
