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From Catholic Relief Services
January 30, 2006
Urge the President, your Members of Congress to Support Strong Food Aid Funding
WHY THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and our partners estimate that more than 30 million people affected by global emergencies such as last year's devastating earthquake in Pakistan and ongoing food shortages in southern and eastern Africa are in need of immediate food aid today.
At the same time, the U.S. government provided only $1.15 billion of the anticipated $2 billion needed this fiscal year to respond to the growing nutritional needs of poor and vulnerable people worldwide. U.S. food aid intended for long-term development programs such as addressing the nutritional needs of people affected by HIV/AIDS or increasing agricultural production in poor regions is being diverted to address emergencies. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced that it will cancel 50 per cent of long-term programs carried out by Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) such as CRS.
Click here to take action now!
Send President Bush and your members of Congress a message today urging them to increase the FY 2006 food aid levels to $2 billion as part of an expected emergency supplemental appropriations bill and to ensure that FY 2007 appropriations for food aid are $2 billion.
BACKGROUND: As Catholics, our Church's social teaching is rooted in the fundamental dignity of every human life. The U.S. Catholic Bishops have stated that the right to food is a basic right because it is required to sustain life and to live a truly human existence. Therefore, we are called to ensure that we do everything we can to meet the basic needs of our brothers and sisters around the world, including the need for food. Meanwhile, the United Nations estimates that 6 million people will die of hunger-related causes this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 852 million people globally live on less than 2,100 calories per day.
In anticipation of an Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill for FY 2006 and the announcement of President Bush's FY 2007 budget request and subsequent Appropriations process in Congress, CRS and our partners are calling for an additional $885 million in U.S. food aid funding for FY 2006 as well as a total of $2 billion for food aid in addition to a robust account for local food purchases for FY 2007.
TAKE ACTION NOW! Click here to contact the President and your members of Congress today! Urge them to provide $885 million for food aid in the emergency supplemental appropriations bill and $2 billion for food aid in FY 2007.
To contact your elected officials by phone or to send an email message today, visit our website www.crs.org/actioncenter.cfm, or contact Tina Rodousakis 1-800-235-2772 x 7462 for more information.
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