Bread for the World Calls on U.S. and World Leaders to Improve Nutrition for Women and Children

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bread for the World today called on Congress to protect funding for foreign assistance as world leaders gather at the United Nations for a high-level meeting on nutrition.

“The current crisis in the Horn of Africa is a stark reminder of why continued U.S. foreign assistance is needed to fight famine, hunger, and malnutrition”

“The current crisis in the Horn of Africa is a stark reminder of why continued U.S. foreign assistance is needed to fight famine, hunger, and malnutrition,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World and a World Food Prize laureate. “The key is to keep effective food aid and maternal and child nutrition programs at their current funding levels or increase them.”

Civil society organizations around the world are taking action and stand ready to work together to support global nutrition efforts. Nearly 60 organizations have signed a civil society statement calling for scaling up nutrition efforts globally. The statement is a result of a June meeting co-hosted by Bread for the World and Concern Worldwide. The statement urges immediate action on five key issues: 1) national government leadership; 2) international leadership; 3) committing the resources needed to scale up; 4) building human capacity; and 5) accountability.

Members of Congress are currently debating how much they will allocate for U.S. foreign aid for fiscal year 2012, which starts October 1. “This meeting at the U.N. is an important demonstration of the growing political will to scale up our efforts to improve nutrition among children, especially during the 1,000 days from pregnancy to age 2,” said Beckmann. “Poor nutrition during the 1,000-day window causes irreversible physical and mental stunting in one out of three children worldwide. The effects of early childhood malnutrition for children who survive are irreversible, impacting their health, ability to learn, and lifetime productivity.”

Bread for the World urges the U.S. government to ensure that U.S. foreign aid programs are fully funded and to form a circle of protection around programs that assist the poorest people in the poorest places. As a leader in global aid, a $1 investment by America leverages an additional $4 in investments from other donors and governments.