Washington, D.C. – Bread for the World applauded the historic $93 billion replenishment package of the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), the Bank’s fund for the lowest-income countries. This is the largest replenishment of the IDA to date.
The funds will help the world’s lowest-income countries recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. About a third of these countries are also facing a looming food crisis. The following statement can be attributed to Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World:
“While Bread for the World supported a $100 billion replenishment of IDA, we are grateful for this $11 billion increase in IDA funds for the next three years. With as many as 584,000 people currently living in famine conditions, and an additional 45 million people at the tipping point, this critical assistance is essential in ending hunger.
“As an organization deeply informed by our faith in Christ, we believe that God calls on us to care for our neighbors in their times of need, whether they are in the next house, the next country, or the next continent. We are hopeful the administration and Congress will continue to support strategic investments and interventions addressing global hunger and malnutrition – including passing the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act.”
Afghanistan would be considered likely to have high rates of hunger because at least two of the major causes of global hunger affect it—armed conflict and fragile governmental institutions.
Malnutrition is responsible for nearly half of all preventable deaths among children under 5. Every year, the world loses hundreds of thousands of young children and babies to hunger-related causes.
Bread for the World is calling on the Biden-Harris administration and Congress to build a better 1,000-Days infrastructure in the United States.
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in faith.” These words from Colossians 2:6 remind us of the faith that is active in love for our neighbors.
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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to respond to changes in need, making it well suited to respond to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bread for the World and its partners are asking Congress to provide $200 million for global nutrition.
In 2017, 11.8 percent of households in the U.S.—40 million people—were food-insecure, meaning that they were unsure at some point during the year about how they would provide for their next meal.