January-February 2014 | www.bread.org
Stephen Padre/Bread for the World
bread
BREAD FOR THE WORLD
is a collective Christian voice
urging our nation’s decision
makers to end hunger
at home and abroad
Countries in Africa are consistently among the top recipients of U.S. food aid. Smart reforms to
food-aid programs will benefit as many as 17 million more people—and at no additional cost.
Reforming U.S. Food Aid
The devastation wrought by major international disasters in recent
years, such as last year’s typhoon in the Philippines, 2010’s massive
earthquake in Haiti, and the ongoing crisis in Syria, shows how valuable
U.S. food aid is in addressing humanitarian emergencies around the
world. These crises also show that, despite the successes of U.S. food
aid, reforms are needed to the programs that provide it. Reforming U.S.
food aid is the focus of Bread for the World’s 2014 Offering of Letters.
Government Help Effective, but Changes Needed
When the needs after disasters are enormous, the response of our federal government is usually immediate. In the case of the Philippines, the U.S. Agency for
International Development committed $10 million to the World Food Program
to be used to purchase food in the Philippines and neighboring countries. Had
the typhoon struck a few months earlier, at the end of the government’s previous
(See Food Aid on page 2)
IN THIS ISSUE | On Faith 3 Bread Slices 4 Policy Focus 6 Advocacy in Action 7 Contact Us 8
ACT NOW!
Congress left town without
extending unemployment
insurance, abruptly cutting
off 1.3 million unemployed
workers from benefits just days
after Christmas. Separately,
congressional leaders are
very close to a farm bill, which
reauthorizes SNAP (formerly
food stamps). Call your
members of Congress today
and urge them to:
1. Extend unemployment
benefits immediately.
2. Protect SNAP in the farm
bill.
Call the Capitol switchboard to
be connected to your member
of Congress: 202-224-3121.