The Hill Oped: A State of the Union That Fights Hunger

President Trump, in his 2018 State of the Union, can make a powerful statement for feeding the hungry. The president can set the tone for the whole year in taking action against hunger at home and abroad.

With famine threatening Yemen, South Sudan, the Congo, Nigeria and Somalia the leadership of the United States is desperately needed. History shows we can rise to the occasion.

When President Harry Truman made his 1946 State of the Union, a gathering storm of famine was looming over Europe. That continent was still reeling from the destruction of World War II.  Hunger was everywhere. In his address, delivered in writing to Congress, Truman said “It is imperative that we give all necessary aid within our means to the people who have borne the ravages of war.”

See my full commentary at The Hill

Column: Remember the hungry this Christmas

No one should go hungry, especially at this time of year. There is enough food on the planet for everyone.

Communities and nations are stronger when people are fed and nourished. So let’s make sure no one goes hungry this holiday season and throughout the year.

See my column at Cincinnati.com

My new Huff Post column: Why Hillary? Because She is a Leader Against World Hunger

Hillary Clinton is the most qualified candidate running for President. One of the reasons why is her experience with a critical issue that impacts every nation: hunger and malnutrition.

As Secretary of State Clinton showed leadership in fighting hunger, which is a major foreign policy objective of the United States. She helped start the Feed the Future initiative, which supports small farmers globally.
 
Read the full article at The Huffington Post:

Pope Francis to make first visit to World Food Programme

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that Pope Francis will be visiting the agency's headquarters on June 13. This will be the first time a Pope has ever visited the WFP, which is based in Rome.

Read the full article at Examiner:

WFP director calls for dedicated leaders to fight hunger

The director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Ertharin Cousin, says the end of world hunger is within reach. In a press release issued yesterday, Cousin urged a global movement to reach the goal of zero hunger by 2030.

Read the full article at Examiner.

WFP director Ertharin Cousin joins Taylor Swift on Forbes list

The director of the UN World Food Programme, Ertharin Cousin, joins Taylor Swift on the Forbes annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women. Cousin came in at #47, followed closely by the music star Swift at #64.

Read the full article at Examiner.

The hungry are not just a statistic

There are over 20 million people in war-torn Iraq, Yemen, Ukraine, South Sudan and Syria who are at risk of starvation. But as Ertharin Cousin, the director of the UN World Food Programme, reminds us the hungry are not just statistics.

See my latest commentary at Examiner.

Remembering Our Greatest Mission

70 years ago the U.S. and British air forces led a life-saving mission that is a great example today, as we face some of the worst humanitarian emergencies since that time.

See my commentary at The History News Network.

Congress Must Hear the Cries of Hunger From Abroad

As Congress debates the foreign aid budget, they should hear the cries of hunger from abroad. They should also listen to the echoes of history.

In fact, one of these came at a recent congressional hearing on the foreign aid budget, which included activists Ben Affleck and Bill Gates. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) mentioned the 1948 Marshall Plan, which rebuilt Europe and won the peace after World War II.

Read my full commentary at The Huffington Post.

Easter Day column in the Cleveland Plain Dealer

This Easter, spending on candy, gifts, clothing and food is expected to pass $16 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Even the Easter Bunny would say, “Wow!”

See my full column at the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Football star uses tattoos to raise awareness of hunger

Sawsan is 13-years-old from Syria. She loves soccer. Yaae is a 28-year-old mother of four from South Sudan. Antoine is a 75-year-old singer from the Central African Republic. These are three of the world's 805 million hungry people.

Read the full article at Examiner.

International School Meals Day coming in March

International School Meals Day will be celebrated on Thursday, March 5th this year. The event seeks to “raise awareness of the hunger and poverty issues being addressed through school feeding programmes (programs)” worldwide.

Read the full article at Examiner.

The State of the Union hunger crisis

Today I asked Bill O’Keefe, the Vice President for Government Relations and Advocacy for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), about the state of world hunger.

Read the interview at Examiner.

My Cincinnati Enquirer Column on the Peace of Christmas Eve

Two hundred years ago this Christmas Eve, America and Britain received a special gift. Only nobody in either country knew about it.

Read the article at the Cincinnati Enquirer.

How Santa began a Food for Peace movement

The U.S. military took part in a special mission during the holidays of 1953. It was called “Operation Reindeer.”

Read the full article at Examiner.

Senators back Feed the Future legislation

Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania recently introduced legislation to fight world hunger. The bill calls for funding a program called Feed the Future. Already a few of his colleagues have signed on.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Financial Crisis Pushes Poor Families Deeper Into Hunger

ROME -- The five case studies, published as G8 development ministers met in Rome, focussed on Armenia, Bangladesh, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Zambia. But they are intended to illustrate the situation in dozens of countries facing similar challenges.

“In each of the five countries, we were alarmed that projections were for more hunger and struggling. It demonstrates that for those living on less than $2 a day, the financial crisis is accelerating hunger and the worst is yet to come,” said WFP’s Executive Director, Josette Sheeran.

The starting point for the five case studies was WFP's ESHI index, which identifies countries that will be hit hardest by the financial crisis. Download ESHI factsheet

Looking ahead to the G8 summit in July, Sheeran called on governments to boost social safety-net programmes.

Fewer meals

WFP food security experts reported that the majority of households in poor countries are coping by reducing the number of meals eaten per day or serving up cheaper but less nutritious foods. Some families are spending less on health care or withdrawing their children from school.

WFP has designed an Economic Shock and Hunger Index (ESHI), which uses economic variables and food security indicators to identify which countries will be hit hardest by the financial crisis. It analysed 126 countries and drew up a “watch list” of countries where factors such as workers’ remittances, exports, debt or exchange rate fluctuations could limit people’s ability to put food on the table. Based on the ESHI index, it initiated five case studies.

Undermine progress

Communities are still reeling from food and fuel price rises which peaked in 2008, said Sheeran, and the present crisis threatens to undermine progress made in the fight against hunger. Prices remain stubbornly high and with the economic downturn, many workers abroad can no longer send home money to feed their families.

“There is a real risk of aggravating chronic hunger, reversing the hard-won gains of recent years,” said Sheeran.

Slide into poverty

The studies found the groups most affected by the financial crisis were unskilled workers in urban areas, families who rely on remittances from abroad, workers laid off from the export sectors and those working in mining and tourism. The worst hit were not necessarily the poorest of the poor, however, but a new group of people who face a downward slide into poverty.

Executive Director Sheeran pointed out that the cost of alleviating world hunger was relatively inexpensive compared to the trillion dollar rescue packages designed to save financial institutions and the automotive industry. In 2009, WFP needs US $6.4 billion to meet the urgent hunger needs of 105 million people.