NGOs Urge Congress to Fund Humanitarian Accounts

Sep 6, 2011

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Dear Representative/Senator:

As more than 12 million lives hang in the balance in the drought-ravaged Horn of Africa, we write to express our deep concern about fiscal year 2012 funding for humanitarian assistance programs.

Given the extreme severity of the unfolding disaster in east Africa—in which tens of thousands of lives are expected to be lost in the next few months—and pressing humanitarian needs in other areas of the world, we strongly urge Congress to fund the Migration and Refugee Assistance, International Disaster Assistance, and Title II Food Assistance accounts at fiscal year 2010 enacted levels—$1.85 billion, $1.3 billion, and $1.84 billion respectively. We also ask that Congress ensure that the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance account is fully funded at its authorized ceiling of $100 million. Increased funding for these accounts should not come at the expense of other relief and development accounts that fight poverty and often help prevent the need for emergency spending down the road.

The people supported by these accounts are women, children, the disabled and the elderly whose lives have been devastated by war and natural disasters. Most cannot survive and their communities cannot recover without help from the international community. Our country, with strong bipartisan support from Congress and the American people, has traditionally been the leading donor of humanitarian assistance. The choices our country makes in its funding decisions save millions of lives, influence the entire international community to do more, and reassure refugees and the many impoverished countries hosting them that we will not abandon them. Congress should make clear its unwavering commitment to providing the resources necessary to address urgent humanitarian needs.

Recent emergencies combined with a number of protracted humanitarian situations will require strong humanitarian funding in fiscal year 2012. The drought in the Horn of Africa is the worst in six decades. Famine conditions already prevail in several areas and are spreading to new ones, with more than two million children estimated to be acutely malnourished. Tens of thousands of Haitians remain in tents eighteen months after the earthquake. Women and children need our help in places like Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Burmese and Iraqi refugees cannot return home safely at this time.

For all of these reasons, we respectfully request that you strengthen and expedite the approval of humanitarian funding as the appropriations process moves forward. The most vulnerable people in the Horn of Africa and around the world depend on it.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

ActionAid USA
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA),
International Alliance for Peacebuilding
AME-SADA
American Friends Service Committee
American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
American Refugee Committee
Asylum Access
Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
CARE
The Center for Victims of Torture
ChildFund International
Church of the Brethren
Church World Service
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM)
Congressional Hunger Center
Counterpart International
The Episcopal Church
Episcopal Migration Ministries
Ethiopian Community Development Council
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Global Health Council
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
Helen Keller International
International Medical Corps
Investors Against Genocide
IRD (International Relief & Development)
International Rescue Committee
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
Kurdish Human Rights Watch
Life for Relief and Development
Lions Clubs International
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Lutheran World Relief
Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur
Mennonite Central Committee U.S.
Mercy Corps
Mercy-USA for Aid and Development
Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration
Oxfam America
Physicians for Human Rights
Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness
Refugees International
Relief International
Resolve
Save the Children
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – Migration and Refugee Service
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
Women’s Refugee Commission
World Concern
World Food Program USA
World Relief
World Vision