Political Quotes

“Mr. President, many of us undoubtedly remember the heart wrenching images of starving Ethiopian and Somali children in the 1980s and 1990s. Those haunting images are hard to forget. Unfortunately, I am compelled to come to the floor to draw attention to a tragic famine again confronting that part of the world. On July 21, the United Nations declared ``famine level food insecurity'' in two regions in southern Somalia. What does ``famine level food insecurity'' mean? It means three tragic conditions are all occurring at the same time. First, malnutrition rates exceed 30 percent. Second, access to food and water is below subsistence levels for extended periods of time. And third, more than 2,000 to 10,000 people are dying of hunger each day. Or more simply--a severe famine threatens the lives of 11 million people in east Africa today. The area affected by famine is expected to expand in coming weeks--and if not addressed soon--in coming months. These millions of men, women, and children in Somalia and around the Horn of Africa are literally starving to death. These are children who will never reach their full potential because they do not have simple nutrients to fully develop--nutrients we take for granted. Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Program, carries around devastating photos showing what malnutrition does to the brain development of children.…”