Author: Steve Hansch

Yu Ying Public Charter School Students Investigate Hunger

World Hunger Education Service was invited to meet with a group of 5th graders at Yu Ying Public Charter School in Northeast Washington, DC to talk with them about hunger in the world.

Fifth graders at Yu Ying are tasked with completing a capstone project called Exhibition. The Exhibition is a group project where students pick a world issue to research and take action on.  They then present their findings to other students at the school who visit their exhibition.

With guidance from their teacher, Amanda Ingram, and Jillian Crandall, the Elementary Director of Yu Ying’s International Baccalaureate Program, I volunteered to meet with them, since I was eager to learn what these young people understood about why hunger exists in the world and what can be done to address it.

On March 25, I met with four Yu Ying 5th grade students who had chosen the issue of world hunger for their group project.  I was impressed at their interest in the topic and in their understanding of the causes of hunger and food insecurity, and how they affect people, especially children.

I asked them about the difference between temporary hunger and chronic hunger, which they understood.  They were also clear about the problem of food insecurity which affects some 50 million Americans each year.

We talked about the infographic The State of Global Hunger which highlights the magnitude of hunger across the global, concentrated especially in Asia/Near East and Africa.  We also talked about hunger in the United States, which affects both rural and urban areas but in different ways.  We watched a short video clip focused on a 5th grader in rural Colorado whose family sometimes doesn’t have food and how hunger makes it difficult for her to pay attention in school.  We talked about programs that can help alleviate hunger and food insecurity, like the U.S. Government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and community food banks.

The students already had a good understanding of how unemployment and poverty increase hunger.  We also talked about how wars and conflicts cause hunger as people are forced to flee their homes.  The students were researching innovations like plumpy food, a non-peanut-based high energy food which can treat acute hunger.

They were also clear about things they can do to address hunger globally and in the United States, like educating their friends and family, not wasting food, and supporting organizations that address hunger like UNICEF and many private voluntary organizations and churches.

I recommended they use some of the World Hunger Education Service hunger quizzes in their Exhibition to see what their fellow students know.

Their interest in world hunger and their curiosity about what can be done to alleviate it gives me hope about what these young people can do.

  – Lani Marquez, WHES Board of Trustees

 

Poetry & Hunger

The growing anti-hunger nonprofit Poetry X Hunger  was founded in 2017 by Dr. Hiram Larew who is a retired director of international programs at the US Department of Agriculture and a poet.  It operates as a component fund of Chesapeake Charities, which is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.

Their website offers a number of resources, such as interviews of experts are available at:  https://www.poetryxhunger.com/interviews.html.            The recent poem, “hunger dialogue” is found at:  https://www.poetryxhunger.com/hunger-poems/poem-by-kim-b-millerThis was featured at the annual meeting of the Alliance to End Hunger, a network of which Poetry X Hunger is a member.

A downloadable book of hunger poetry is available from https://www.poetryxhunger.com/uploads/1/2/5/7/125799040/poetsspeakbacktohunger.pdf

Poetry archives are freely available from:  https://www.poetryxhunger.com/international-poets

An example showcased on their website is from the 1942 Bengal famine, when an estimated 2 million people died of malnutrition, is excerpted here:

_____“O great life, no more of this poetry   

_____Now bring the hard, harsh prose,

_____Wipe away the poetry-softened chimes

_____Strike the stern hammer of prose today!

_____No more need for the tenderness of poetry

_____Poetry today I give you leave

_____In the realm of hunger, the world is prosaic”

_____The full moon is like scalded bread.”                    – by Sukanta Bhattacharya, 2947

Paul Ehrlich, Who Warned of Famines, Passes Away

Scientist, educator and global citizen, Paul Ehrlich passed away at the age of 93 on March 13, 2026.   As professor from 1959 to 2016 at Stanford University, he sponsored the first course offered about international hunger and life-saving aid, consistent with his life-long efforts to mitigate suffering from famine, food insecurity and environmental crises.

In a series of publications, Ehrlich called the general public’s attention to the reality of famines around the world. His writings, often with his wife Anne Ehrlich, emphasized the dramatic increase in the number of people exposed to food insecurity and hunger as the world population quadrupled during his lifetime, an observation largely ignored by other major analysts and politicians.

The success of their 1968 book, The Population Bomb, resonated with a public increasingly aware in the 1950s and 1960s of exponential population growth. Demand for his views was reflected in his more than 20 appearances as a guest on NBC’s The Tonight Show.

Some obituaries have denied the recurrence of famine, turning a blind eye to the hundreds of millions of people affected in recent decades by famines in Mali, Sudan, Haiti, Ethiopia, Yemen, Cambodia, India, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, and other countries since the publication of The Population Bomb which warned of the threats of future famines.  Critics of Ehrlich pretend away the fact that in the decades since its population, over 300 million young children have died from malnutrition in poorer countries and that famines continue to occur in still-growing populations such as South Sudan, Nigeria, Mozambique Somalia, and Kenya.  Remarkably, some obituaries about Ehrlich suggest that malnutrition has not been a problem in the world, despite the fact that an estimated four to five billion people have been seriously hungry and malnourished during the decades since Ehrlich’s warning.

Fortunately, the frequency and severity of very large famines have declined, in part because of Ehrlich’s warnings, which helped spur the U.S. government to create the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) in the 1980s. This system has helped prevent famines through timely food and humanitarian assistance and is still used today by the U.S. Department of State.

The book also helped galvanize support for women’s reproductive rights, education, and microfinance initiatives, contributing to declines in fertility and more stable population growth in many countries. Governments, including that of the United States, increasingly supported programs to reduce child mortality, which in turn enabled women across Asia and Africa to choose smaller family sizes. For instance, in the 1960s, the average woman in Asia or Africa gave birth to seven children, whereas today the average is three to four.

Ehrlich’s environmental warnings have been less successful, however, in preventing species extinction and habitat loss.  Since his book, millions of species have gone extinct at rates up to 1,000 times the natural background level, largely due to human encroachment on land and marine habitats. As Ehrlich warned decades ago, the 2024 Living Planet Report documents that monitored wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73% since 1970.  This loss is often described as a “sixth mass extinction,” driven primarily by habitat destruction, followed by overharvesting, invasive species, disease, and climate change.

As Ehrlich documented, carbon dioxide emissions have increased by over 115% since 1968.  To feed a growing population, humans have converted vast tracts of forests and grasslands into farmland. Over the past 50 years, agriculture and land-use change have accounted for roughly 23% of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The world has also lost about 420 million hectares of forest since 1990 due to land conversion.

Ehrlich spent a career studying the science of population dynamics, including coevolution and population biology. In his 1964 paper “Butterflies and Plants: A Study in Coevolution” (with Peter Raven), he argued that plants and herbivorous insects drive each other’s evolution—an idea that helped launch the modern field of coevolution. He also conducted decades-long field studies on checkerspot butterflies (Euphydryas editha bayensis), examining population dynamics, genetic structure, and the effects of climate and habitat fragmentation. His work documented patterns of local extinction and recolonization, providing empirical support for the concept of meta-populations and shaping modern conservation science.

Ehrlich helped popularize the notion of ecosystem services, the benefits people receive from nature, such as pollination, water purification, and soil fertility. He used this framework to quantify how human demography and consumption threaten the functioning of ecosystems.

As the Peter Bing professor at Stanford University, Ehrlich  founded Stanford’s Center for Conservation Biology and has worked on endangered‑species policy, countryside biogeography (making human‑altered landscapes hospitable to biodiversity), and cultural evolution of environmental ethics.

Over his long career he mentored scores of students at Stanford, cultivating in them the same blend of scientific rigor and moral urgency that defined his own work.

His textbook Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment, coauthored with Anne Ehrlich and John Holdren, is a comprehensive and still-relevant compendium. It provides a foundational overview of ecological principles, resource constraints, and environmental systems. The book explores how population growth, industrial agriculture, pesticide use, and pollution strain natural systems, and it outlines pathways for social, political, and economic adaptation. Ultimately, it frames humanity’s environmental challenges as requiring urgent and coordinated global action.

Like his publications, Ehrlich’s lectures were intellectually wide-ranging and provocative, integrating history, global trends, politics, and ecology. Unlike many academics, he was deeply committed to addressing hunger and alleviating human suffering.

Other readings:

Stanford University:  https://humsci.stanford.edu/feature/biologist-and-environmentalist-paul-ehrlich-has-died

Understanding the fragility of our planetary home: The legacy of Paul Ehrlich

Nature Journal:  https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00939-5

Paul Ehrlich: A Tribute

 

Fertilizer Prices and Hunger Increase from Middle East War

Malnutrition rates are likely to increase worldwide due to fertilizers becoming less available.  The primary driver for  significant increases in fertilizer prices is the disruption of nitrogen and phosphate production from the current war in the Middle East.

The Middle East is a critical hub, accounting for roughly 10-50% of the world’s urea production and nearly half of the global tradable supply of sulfur (an essential input for phosphate). Furthermore, record-high natural gas prices in early 2026 have pushed the variable costs of ammonia production significantly higher.  Fertilizer prices were already rising in early 2026, while major upside risks include conflict-related shipping disruption, tighter nitrogen and phosphate exports, and natural-gas uncertainty.  The WorldBank reported that fertilizer prices gained 6.5% in February 2026.  Other groups, such as the FAO, Argus, and CRU have each flagged conflict-related risks to fertilizer and energy flows, especially through the Middle East and shipping routes.

The two charts shown, that are modeled on current trends suggest that key fertilizer prices may double in the coming 6 months.

The critical chokepoint has been the Strait of Hormuz. Following the war in late February 2026, the Hormuz waterway, which is responsible for a third of the world’s seaborne fertilizer trade, has closed, sending urea prices at NOLA up roughly 30% in the first two weeks of March alone.  Shipping costs through the Red Sea have also risen more than 50%, further compressing margins across the supply chain.

The World Economic Forum adds:  “It’s not just shipping that’s been disrupted. Qatar was forced to halt production at one of the world’s biggest urea plants last week, in the midst of what is planting season in much of the world.  As of 2022, Qatar’s exports of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers including urea were keeping nearly 43 million people fed in the US, Brazil, and India alone.”

Sustained 40-to-60% price increases cause farmers, including  smallholders, to under-apply nutrients, which translates into yield losses 6–12 months downstream. That lag is what makes the current moment especially dangerous for food insecure populations heading into late 2026.  In other words, malnutrition is projected to increase after a lag time.  Malnutrition will be widespread and diffuse, not localized to one area.

 

Debate over Child Malnutrition in Gujarat, India

In his book Development as Freedom, Nobel-prize winning scholar Amartya Sen wrote that “no famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy,” tying that claim to the presence of elections, opposition parties, and a relatively free press.

The press in Gujarat, India is giving a current example of how politicians are being held accountable to metrics of child malnutrition.

As reported in Indian news, quoting the independent, population-based National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), the opposition party in Gujarat is criticizing the government for a 41% rate of stunting in Gujarat state (or some 260,000 children), whereas the government is quoting a lower rate based on self-selected clinic-based screening of children.  The NFHS also reports 19% of children under age 5 were wasted (acutely malnourished).

The opposition has claimed, “Despite this BJP government with more than 150 seats and 28 years of rule, only one figure comes on record, that 40 out of 100 children are malnourished. A very large section of them are tribals.”    In districts like Panchmahal and Banaskantha, the numbers are objectively worse than the state average, which is why they were the focus of the March 12th debate.

Over roughly the last two decades, Gujarat’s child malnutrition record has improved, but unevenly.  But wasting moved the wrong way for a long stretch: about 19% in 2005–06, 27% in 2015–16, and still about 25% in 2019–20/21; severe wasting also rose from about 7% to 11% and then stayed around 11%.  Several underlying determinants improved substantially over time in NFHS: by NFHS-5, Gujarat had higher coverage of improved sanitation (74.0% vs 63.6% in NFHS-4), clean cooking fuel (66.9% vs 52.6%), improved drinking water (97.2% vs 95.9%), and continued high use of iodized salt (95.6%).  Those changes usually point in the right direction for nutrition security.

Reference about the recent controversy:

https://www.thehindu.com/data/fact-check-are-40-out-of-100-children-malnourished-in-gujarat/article70744284.ece

Increased Hunger and Conflict in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is currently facing a severe food insecurity crisis driven by several compounding factors. According to the UNHCR,  in 2025, both Pakistan and Iran tightened their migration policies, forcing large numbers of Afghan refugees to return to Afghanistan.

The Pakistan–Afghanistan border has become a combat zone, and Pakistan has conducted airstrikes inside Afghanistan along with ground operations, displacing 66,000 Afghan civilians.  As of mid-March, armed clashes continue in several Afghan provinces (Khost, Paktia, Paktika, Kunar, Nangarhar, Kandahar), with both sides reporting heavy losses. Pakistan claims to have destroyed militant infrastructure, while Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of targeting civilians and civilian areas.

An estimated 2.7 million Afghan refugees were forced back to Afghanistan in 2025 from Pakistan and Iran, straining Afghan public services. Pakistan has also closed the border and suspended trade, a devastating blow to the landlocked Afghan economy.  Many of these returnees are struggling to reintegrate due to limited employment opportunities and the lack of basic services such as food, clothing, and shelter. In addition, many refugees sold their homes when they fled Afghanistan and are now returning with no place to live.

Making things worse, major border crossings have been closed since late 2025 due to the conflict with Pakistan, interrupting food trade.  Compounded by its war with the U.S., Iran (Afghanistan’s western neighbor) has halted exports to Afghanistan of some food products, worsening Afghan food shortages and raising prices.   As a result, Afghanistan is shifting toward northern suppliers.

Kazakhstan nearly doubled grain exports to Afghanistan between late 2025 and early 2026.  Afghanistan cannot produce enough staple food domestically.  For example, wheat consumption for its population of 45 million is roughly 6.8 million metric tons per year, whereas domestic wheat production is about 4.8 million tons, with the shortfall made up through imports from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia.

The influx of returning refugees is placing additional strain on already scarce resources. At the same time, Afghanistan is experiencing a severe water shortage caused by a drought that has persisted for more than four years. The FAO estimates that snowfall during the 2025–2026 winter is at a 25-year low, significantly affecting agriculture and livestock production. As a result, it is estimated that roughly half of Afghanistan’s population is facing severe food insecurity and poverty.

The prevalence of malnutrition has increased over the last year, reaching record highs.  Acute malnutrition for children under five increased by approximately 7% compared to early 2025. In 2026, an estimated 3.7 to 4 million children are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition, with nearly 1 million of those facing Severe Acute Malnutrition.  Approximately 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also expected to be acutely malnourished this year.

Afghanistan’s per capita GDP is estimated at about $400 per year and has declined by 20% from a few years ago.  By this measure, the Afghan people are the poorest in Asia.  The chart at right compares the prevalence of undernutrition in Afghanistan to some of its neighboring countries.

Children are still being measured to identify malnutrition, but the system is under immense strain.  Families stopped taking children to health centers as they knew that supplies of recovery foods would not be available.  Many children are “dying silently at home” because families cannot afford the transport to clinics, or facilities have closed due to earthquake damage and lack of staff funding.

The departure of U.S. troops in August 2021 and the subsequent 2025 cessation of all USAID aid to Afghanistan fundamentally broke the primary supply and distribution model.  Last winter, the WFP provided aid for 6 million people but have cut that back to only 1 to 2 million people.

In addition to UNICEF and WFP, nonprofits who are responding to hunger in Afghanistan are:  Action Against Hunger (ACF), Concern Worldwide, CARE, Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Islamic Relief Worldwide, MSF, and World Vision.

The war is being fought over Pakistan’s demand for Afghanistan to eliminate militant safe havens and Afghanistan’s refusal to comply, compounded by historical grievances and border disputes. Pakistan is accusing Afghan forces of drone attacks on its civilians.  The human cost is mounting daily, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence and displacement.  The Durand Line, the contested border between the two countries, has long been a flashpoint. Both sides accuse each other of violating sovereignty and supporting insurgent activities across the border.  Recently, China publicly urged both sides to hold face-to-face talks and seek a ceasefire. Turkey has also offered to promote a ceasefire.

Update:   As of March 16, Al Jazeera reports that Afghanistan accused Pakistan’s military of launching an airstrike on Kabul’s Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility, killing at least 400 people.  Pakistan dismissed the claim as “false and aimed at misleading public opinion,” saying it only targeted military installations.  The attack entered its third week of the deadliest fighting between the two countries in years.

Humanitarian Impact:  Nearly 66,000 people were displaced in Afghanistan as of early March, with the UN’s International Organization for Migration warning of the “growing humanitarian impact on civilians.”  Schools and markets in several border districts remain closed, mortar fire has forced families to flee villages in northwest Pakistan, and aid operations in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been temporarily suspended.

For further learning:

https://fews.net/middle-east-and-asia/afghanistan?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghanistanpakistan-conflict-update-situation-report-1-march-10-2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.fao.org/emergencies/where-we-work/AFG/en?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Foreclosures of American Farms Increase

Farm bankruptcies in the United States increased during the last year, with Chapter 12 filings rising 46% to 315, up from 216 in 2024.   Regional Hotspots: The Midwest and Southeast accounted for over two-thirds of all filings, with states like Arkansas, Montana, and Pennsylvania seeing especially large jumps (e.g., Montana up 200%, Pennsylvania up 160%).

American farmers are taking on larger operating loans with longer repayment terms, and total farm debt is projected to reach a record $624.7 billion in 2026. Interest expenses are also at decade-high levels, further straining operations.  Farm-specific foreclosures are part of a broader trend of financial distress in rural America.

The main factors include depressed commodity prices, high input costs, rising interest rates, and reduced government support. The outdated Farm Bill and stalled ad hoc assistance have exacerbated the situation.  Analysts expect farm foreclosures and bankruptcies to remain elevated, especially if commodity prices stay low and borrowing costs remain high. Some farmers are already selling land or equipment to shore up working capital.

Broader U.S. foreclosure activity (all property types) increased 14% overall in 2025, reflecting rising financial stress across the economy. Farm foreclosures are a subset of this trend — and notably, the surge in operating loans, record debt loads, and declining repayment capacity signal that formal farm foreclosures are likely to accelerate through 2026.

Net farm income is $48 billion (24%) below 2022 record highs.  Total farm debt projected at $624.7 billion in 2026 — an all-time record high.  160,000+ farms have closed since 2017; bankruptcy stats undercount the full scope of losses

During the Great Depression, the number of farms reached its historic peak of 6.8 million in 1935 after many unemployed city dwellers moved back to rural areas to engage in subsistence farming to survive the economic crisis.  After World War II, technological advances and mechanization allowed farmers to manager large plots of land.  As farm ownerships were consolidated into ever-larger operations, the number of individual farms plummeted from over 6 million in 1940 to approximately 2.3 million by 1974 and 2 million in the 2020s.

In the current economy, in 2026, per-acre losses are severe across major crop categories:

  • Rice: Losses exceeding $200/acre even after federal assistance
  • Corn, soybeans, wheat: Accumulated losses of ~$44 billion projected over 2025–26
  • Milk: Receipts forecast to fall $6.2 billion (–12.8%)
  • Eggs: Receipts down $17.3 billion (–66%)

Agricultural economists note that farm bankruptcies are a lagging indicator, meaning that more filings are likely in 2026 even if commodity prices stabilize.  USDA forecasts further net farm income decline in 2026 (–2.6% in real terms), with farm production expenses rising to $477.7 billion.
Total farm debt surpassing $624.7 billion will push more producers past the point of viability.  The tariff environment is adding additional uncertainty, disrupting export markets and elevating input costs simultaneously.  The American Farm Bureau warns of a “generational downturn” not seen in severity since the 1980s farm crisis.

March 12, 2026

 

In Memoriam: Arthur Eugene ‘Gene’ Dewey, A Life of Service and Compassion

 Gene Dewey, who passed away on February 22nd, was one of the great humanitarian leaders of his generation, inspiring many people and managing to move food and relief supplies to needed areas over the course of several decades. He was also an institution builder, seeing the need for new organizations to lead and to train leaders.

His career spanned many of the global emergencies of the last 40 years, from Biafra in the 1960s to Sudan in the 1980s, to Rwanda in the 1990s, to Afghanistan in the 2000s.  While he attained senior levels in the UN and US Government, he never lost the common touch. He was affable and supportive of his colleagues and never stood on ceremony.

Throughout his distinguished career, Ambassador Dewey embodied an unwavering belief in the power of multilateral cooperation to address the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises. His conviction that international challenges required international solutions shaped his approach to diplomacy and refugee protection for more than four decades.

He is survived by his wife Priscilla, his daughter Elizabeth Parce Ainsworth, son in-law Anthony Ainsworth, and grand-daughter, Charlotte.

Arthur Eugene Dewey went by the name of “Gene.”  Testimonials contributed from his friends and colleagues for this obituary appear in the following.

  1. Gene’s Life and Mission

Born on February 18, 1933, in Pennsylvania, Gene grew up in a ministerial family that taught him values of service and compassion, which would define his life’s work.  Gene graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1956 and began a distinguished 25-year military career. After earning a Master of Science in Engineering from Princeton University in 1961, Gene deployed to Southeast Asia for two combat tours.  For his leadership during a multinational prisoner rescue operation in Cambodia, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and six additional air medals.

Philip Sargisson (UNHCR):  “Gene was a highly principled yet particularly warm human being. We worked together, traveled together and remained close friends.“

His advocacy for streamlined international aid structures and enhanced civil-military cooperation in humanitarian response reflected his belief that effective assistance required both strategic coordination and operational flexibility.  His vision influenced how the aid agencies respond to displacement crises today.

Betsy Lippman (State Dept):  “Gene Dewey was the ultimate humanitarian and a gentleman in the old style.  One of a kind.  He will be truly missed.”

II. Gene’s Leadership in Fighting Global Hunger

Gene fought malnutrition and hunger in numerous capacities, starting as a White House Fellow in 1968 when he was posted to USAID to coordinate civilian food aid for the Biafra famine (also known as the Nigerian Civil War), which was the first real-time, big night-time news crisis in Africa.

Susan Martin (Georgetown):  “I met Gene in 1981 when he had retired from the military and began working on refugee issues in the State Department.  He was largely responsible for shifting U.S. policy toward finding solutions for the famine in Ethiopia.”

Working at the U.S. Department of State Gene supported the response to the devastating Ethiopian famine of 1984-1985.  He played a pivotal role in convincing the UN Secretary-General to establish the UN Organization for Emergency Operations in Africa that responded to the regional famines across the Horn of Africa including the Ethiopia famine.

Margaret McKelvey (State Dept):  “I cannot count the number of times he [Gene] cited the UN Office of Emergency Operations in Africa work on famine across the continent in the mid 1980s as the UN’s finest hour.”

Angela Berry (UNHCR Nutritionist) met Gene in 1985:  “At that time, I had met many dignitaries. I assumed my list would disappear into some distant bureaucracy. To my astonishment, within weeks everything I had requested began to arrive – tents, blankets, therapeutic food, emergency kits – pouring in with a speed and coordination I had never seen. I knew it was Gene. … Knowing Gene was there, steadfast in his dedication, unwavering in his humanity, was a deep comfort to me and to so many others. Over the decades we continued to exchange messages, sharing concerns about neglected crises and places in need of attention. He always seemed like someone who would be with us forever.”

In 1993, Gene set up and led the Congressional Hunger Center (CHC), which was authorized by Congress in the wake of the dissolution of the House Select Committee on Hunger.  Working closely with Congressional representatives, Gene built up the CHC.    Drawing on his experience with the White House Fellows program, Gene led the CHC to provide two-year fellowships to dozens of young leaders to train fight hunger, working with UN agencies and NGOs.

Margaret Zeigler (CHC):  “He inspired a generation of young leaders who now work to make the world a better place – in the UN system, in the US government, private sector and in the humanitarian non-governmental organizations here and around the world. Gene always lifted up young leaders and especially believed in women, youth and those less advantaged. His favorite words were “we” and “us”.”

Ambassador and former Congressman, Tony Hall chaired the Committee on Hunger from Congress.  He remembers:  “Gene Dewey was one of the most decent and honorable man I’ve ever met.  He was always caring and working to help people who were hurting.”

In 1989 Gene was tapped to lead USAID’s new, unprecedented aid to the former Soviet states when the Soviet Union unraveled and brand, new countries were in need.  He pioneered new ways of providing aid to unconventional populations in Central Asia.  His partner in this effort, Don Krumm, remembers:  “He was a big-minded guy, energetic, and encouraging.  He was always there with positive bravo.  He liked audacity.  Gene kept the supply lines going in.  It was a chance, if we succeeded, to be on top of a transition to democracy.”

Margaret Zeigler explains “CHC still exists today, and is a private, bi-partisan center that keeps a focus in Congress on domestic and international hunger and humanitarian issues and galvanizes action.  It is where our teams established the Bill Emerson Hunger Fellowships and the Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowships, programs that raise up the next generation of leaders working to end hunger in the United States and around the world.”

 III.  Gene’s Leadership in Refugee Assistance and Protection

While outside of government, during the Rwandan Refugee Crisis in 1995, Gene Dewey arranged, developed a five-point plan shared with the National Security Council and the U.S. President that helped facilitate the deployment of military assets to provide water supply in Goma and the refugee camps around Goma.

Later, as Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration from 2002 to 2005, Dewey oversaw the return of over four million Afghan refugees following the fall of the Taliban.  By mid-2002, approximately 1.6 million refugees had returned home, supported by U.S.-funded UNHCR programs providing transport, shelter, and reintegration assistance.  Dewey championed an innovative Program Secretariat Structure in Afghanistan that paired UN agencies with Afghan government ministries, creating accountability mechanisms while building local capacity. He also initiated the Afghan Conservation Corps, modeled on the U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps, to employ returnees in environmental and infrastructure projects.

      Susan Martin (Georgetown University):   “My most vivid memories of Gene were working with him when he was Deputy UN High Commissioner for Refugees. UNHCR had been pressured by some of its member states to do a better job in protecting the rights of refugee women and children. Some of the UNHCR staff saw the problems faced by women and girls to be social issues, not human rights issues. When I talked with Gene about it, he immediately brought a group of staff members together and let them know that UNHCR had an obligation to protect all refugees and they should cooperate with the efforts underway to address the many problems facing women and children. I will always be thankful for Gene’s support.”

At the Department of State, Gene encouraged Don Krumm  to pioneer early warning of refugee flows, such as in the Fergana Valley in Central Asia.  Don  (State) remembers:  “Gene was always encouraging new thinking.  He was one for pushing the envelope.   He and I got along so well because I would recommend going to the site of the problem, and he trusted me to do that.”

 Anne Richard (State}:  “When he became head of the refugee bureau at the State Department, the humanitarian community expressed huge relief….  He made his mark early on when his issued a fact-based report that defended UNFPA’s role with regard to China’s coercive one child policy. …    His leadership on refugee matters was respected throughout Washington, DC… While a friendly and avuncular figure, he never hesitated to critique humanitarian policies if he thought they were off-track.”

Gene negotiated the reopening of Vietnam’s Orderly Departure Program in 2004, allowing thousands of refugees to resettle safely.  He also advocated for Bhutanese refugees in Nepal and North Korean refugees in China, pressing for their recognition and protection under international law.

Globally, he advocated for “un-warehousing refugees” i.e., out of long-term artificial camps so they could actively participate in finding their own solutions.

Kelly Clements {UNHCR):  “He was known then as a man of conviction and determination to make the lives of others better with Africa a focus during his time at State Department and serving at UNHCR during the 1980’s pivotal adoption of the Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees and the CIREFCA process which provided a humanitarian framework to implement Cartagena protection principles and solutions in Central America. “

United Nations Leadership

Gene’s commitment to multilateralism and “burden sharing” among donors found its fullest expression during his tenure as UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees from 1986 to 1990. Based in Geneva, he served as the second-ranking official at UNHCR during a pivotal period of global displacement. His leadership helped strengthen the agency’s capacity to respond to refugee crises worldwide, and he championed the integration of protection principles into all humanitarian operations.

In this role, Gene worked to enhance coordination among UN agencies, NGOs, and national governments, recognizing that effective humanitarian response required seamless collaboration across institutional boundaries. His efforts to promote burden-sharing among nations and to elevate refugee protection on the international agenda left a lasting imprint on the global refugee system.

Margaret McKelvey (PRM):  “He was tenacious in his views and committed to multilateralism.”

Jan de Wilde (International Organization for Migration):  “Gene was a rare combination of the good and the practical.  Trust found an easy home in him.  His Christian faith was a quiet but driving force in his charitable works, at least as far as I could tell.”

Former U.S.  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reflected how Gene was devoted to a life of public service.  She called out his “belief that the world’s most difficult challenges require multilateral cooperation.  You represent the highest ideals of public service.”

Dr. Michel Gabaudan worked with Gene at UNHCR in Geneva.  He remembers Gene as “always extremely courteous and looking at how to solve problems, Gene always saw the individuals, and their suffering, behind the policies, or institutional politics that guided them, carried out by our offices. And he always calmly analyzed the broader context in which we operated, which he understood with discerning subtlety. Some 20 years later, when we met regularly during my stints in DC, Gene remained the same concerned, amiable and well informed person we had always known. A true humanitarian gentleman.”

Strategic Partnerships with International Organizations

From long and hard experience, Gene learned that the U.S. Government’s humanitarian efforts were most effective when conducted in partnership with established international organizations. He cultivated long and deep operational relationships with UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration.

In January 2002, Gene was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration where he oversaw a humanitarian budget of over $700 million a year in refugee assistance that flowed through NGOs and international organizations.

Kelly Clements (UNHCR):  “We worked most closely together when he was Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration from 2002 to 2005 and I was Deputy Director of Policy and Resource Planning.  He argued forcefully for the U.S. to address significant humanitarian need from increased displacement in multiple parts of the world, including importantly in and around Afghanistan with senior department, White House, and Congressional leadership.  I remember in particular his first budget defense in front of then Deputy Secretary Robert Zoellick – neither were shrinking violets and it made a lasting impression on me at a young age. He carried the day and our robust budget request proceeded to the White House.”

IV. Charitable Initiatives and Enduring Legacy

Gene co-founded the nonprofit, USA for UNHCR, establishing an enduring bridge between American compassion and global refugee protection. His role as Director Emeritus of USA for IOM further amplified his influence on international migration policy.  In 2018, USA for UNHCR, established “the Gene Dewey Refugee Award” in his honor, recognizing individuals who demonstrate visionary leadership and extraordinary dedication to helping forcibly displaced people.   The award’s criteria, courage, selflessness, sacrifice, and humility, mirror Gene’s values.   Recipients include refugee-led organizations in Uganda to the Eleon Foundation providing therapy for Ukrainian refugee children in Poland.

Jeff Meer (US Association for UNHCR):  “Gene was one of the first people I met who could move smoothly between public and private service.  I learned so much in watching him do that.”

Kelly Clements (UNHCR)  “While there are many Gene stories, the other piece of lasting advice I remember from our PRM days together is something often repeated now, with due credit to Gene.:  ‘there are no lessons learned, only lessons identified.’  We can all take that to heart.”

Eric Schwartz (State) remembers Gene as:  “a true humanitarian who was prepared to speak and lend his expertise without concern about which political party was in the White House. He will truly be missed. May his memory be a blessing.”

Encouragement of Others

Gene’s legacy lives on through the institutions he helped build and the countless lives transformed by his dedication. The award bearing his name continues to inspire new generations of humanitarian leaders, ensuring that his vision for a more compassionate world endures.

Betsy Lippman (State):    “Gene showed me the ropes.  How he used his discerning intelligence, diplomatic skills and knowledge were incredible to watch and learn from.  His passion and caring for the forcibly displaced was so clear and his drive to change their lives for the better and help them find solutions was always at work.”

Margaret Zeigler (CHC)  “First and foremost, in a town like Washington DC, where most people rarely share the limelight, Gene was radically different: he always created space for young people, like me, to get involved in everything he was working on”

Angela Berry (UNHCR) remembers Gene coming through with needed supplies when she reported her assessments.  “He simply told me to stay the course. After a month, he called me back to Headquarters. He never drew me into the immense politics of that mission; he asked only that I remain true to the technical and humanitarian purpose of the work.” 

John Buche (State):  “At my 90th birthday party, after the string quartet had played “Happy Birthday”, I asked Gene to say a “few words”.  Gene began with mentions of my college education, my army experience, my Foreign Service assignments, pointed out meeting me for the first time when I was in Zambia, continued with my assignments working together in PRM, and ended with recollections from our discussions at our luncheon get togethers in retirement. I felt so honored!”

Mukesh Kapilla (UK Government):  “He was a good man and in my dealings with him I found him sincere, serious and sympathetic in co-operating constructively even as global and American politics swirled around us.”

Following the news of Gene’s passing, many offered testimonials, as Bill Hyde (IOM) notes:  “Over the past days I’ve watched a cascade of emotion burst forth from decades of civil servants who were touched by Gene Dewey. Every person swiftly pulled up ‘a Gene moment’ – the time he listened when they needed it; the time he paused in his own busy life to guide them to do better; the time he reached out and amplified the effect of their efforts by easing a path. Many were surprised that a senior official like Gene even remembered them to offer help – but that’s exactly the kind of man he was. Gene didn’t need the praise, he simply wanted everyone to serve the best that they could. “

V. Recognition and Personal Life

Margaret McKelvey (State):  “A committed Christian, he often cited the Biblical verse “the truth shall set you free” – not as a theological statement but as an admonition to always give a complete and truthful assessment of a humanitarian situation along with a detailed “get well” plan.“

During his final year, Gene was still at work writing and corresponding and trying to educate the U.S. government about how to save lives, as in this letter to the editor in the Washington Post (May 2, 2025), titled A Missing Sense of Duty, wherein he recalled the USG’s success in 1985 in stopping measles deaths during the Ethiopian famine through vaccinations, and questioning the recent changes in US policy, writing:  “Where is that sense of duty for potential measles victims in America today?  Health leaders who plant unscientific doubts about vaccine safety need to be held accountable.”

A few weeks before his passing, Gene met for lunch with Don Krumm:  “he was looking incredibly spry.  He talked about emergency operations in Africa was a high-water mark in Africa.  We talked about old times.  He said he was working on some draft recommendations.  He was an exemplary person, driven to do good. “

Gene’s  contributions earned distinguished recognition, including the Distinguished Graduate Award from West Point in 2006 and the John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award in 2011.

Angela Berry (UNHCR):  “Quiet. Kind. Sincere. Reflective. These are the qualities I will always associate with Gene Dewey. They are also the qualities that defined his extraordinary gift to the world and to all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

Bill Hyde (IOM):  “I recall a dozen times over the years when I would receive an unexpected note from Gene. Each would convey his awareness, his appreciation, his offer in some way to contribute. And then he would slip away again, asking neither thanks or focus. Only better service. That’s the definition of a humanitarian.”

Throughout his peripatetic humanitarian life, his wife Priscilla provided unwavering support, for which he expressed profound gratitude.

March 8, 2026

Further informaon about Gene Dewey:

To see Ambassador Dewey’s testimony to Congress about Haiti, see the March 3, 2004 CSpan Haiti testimony where he speaks 46 minutes in:  https://www.c-span.org/program/house-committee/political-crisis-in-haiti/197804

https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mss/mfdip/2004/2004buc02/2004buc02.pdf

New Global Survey of Food Resilience, by the Economist

Economist Impact’s inaugural Resilient Food Systems Index (RFSI), supported by Cargill, benchmarks food system resilience across 60 countries using 71 indicators organized into four pillars:   affordability, availability, quality and safety, and climate risk responsiveness.

The accompanying new report, Resilient Food Systems Index: Global Report (Economist Impact, 2026)  delves deeper.

Portugal tops the rankings (76.83/100) as the most resilient country, with France and the UK close behind, while the Democratic Republic of Congo sits last at 34.86 — a 42-point gap that illustrates how unevenly resilience is distributed globally.  Critically, no country scores 80 or above, meaning even the most advanced food systems remain meaningfully exposed. Climate risk responsiveness is the weakest pillar overall, averaging just 56.43, and political commitment to mitigation and adaptation scores a dismal 34.03 globally. The affordability pillar looks deceptively healthy at 71.83, but masks the fact that in 62% of countries, the cheapest nutritious diet consumes roughly two-thirds of the poorest households’ income.

Income Shock Vulnerability.  In low and lower-middle-income countries, food constitutes a massive share of household spending.  The report states that prices in these nations have risen by 23.09% over the past five years. Unlike wealthier nations that can absorb price spikes or subsidize costs, households in countries like the DRC or Nigeria have no buffer. When resilience fails (due to climate or trade shocks), prices skyrocket, pushing basic staples out of reach and directly causing acute hunger.

The “Unaffordable” Healthy Diet.  The report introduces a critical metric: the cost of a healthy diet. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a healthy diet absorbs more than one-third of average income. For the worst-off countries, this figure is catastrophic. The report specifies that in 37 RFSI countries, the cheapest healthy diet costs about two-thirds of the average per capita income. This means that even when calories are available (staving off  starvation), malnutrition persists because nutrient-dense foods (fruits, vegetables, protein) are financially inaccessible.

The worst-off countries score lowest on the “Climate Risk Responsiveness” pillar, which has a global average of just 56.43.  Lack of Early Warning: These countries lack the mechanisms (early-warning systems, disaster reduction strategies) to anticipate shocks. When a drought or flood hits, it becomes a food availability crisis because there is no time to react.  Pests and Pathogens: With weak pest management (only a third of RFSI countries score high here), biological risks like disease and infestations decimate local yields. In countries like Uganda or Kenya, this directly reduces the food available for subsistence and local markets, eroding the availability pillar of food security.

Just 15 countries produce 70% of global food, and 11 of them are also top exporters. Yet none of these “anchor” countries score above 80.   Even the US, Brazil, China, and Australia—collectively producing 37.6% of global food—show weaknesses in climate risk, water stress, and infrastructure.

“The US… ranks 51st out of 60 countries on dietary diversity.”

Despite widespread market‑access support, farmers’ incomes are not rising.  “Annual growth in producer prices remains weak (averaging just 42.05).”  This suggests that productivity gains are not translating into livelihoods, especially for smallholders.  Farmers in countries like the DRC or Ethiopia struggle to get goods to market due to high transport costs and poor connectivity. Without income from their harvest, they cannot afford to buy food during the lean season, leading to seasonal hunger.  Financial Exclusion: Access to basic financial services scores just 51.53. Without savings or credit, a smallholder farmer in Tanzania or Rwanda cannot buy seeds or fertilizer after a bad harvest, perpetuating a cycle of low productivity and food insecurity.

While nearly all countries (97%) have policies for “agritech,” more than half under-invest in the cold-chain capacity needed to prevent food from spoiling before it reaches consumers.

Foundational Needs:  Digital tools are useless without basic enablers. For example, rural internet access and basic financial services (like savings accounts) remain “binding constraints” for smallholder farmers.

The timing is pointed.  The report lands as geopolitical fragmentation, climate volatility and inflationary pressures are simultaneously straining global supply chains.   The report also arrives as countries are submitting updated Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement framework, making its finding that agriculture-specific climate targets are nearly absent particularly timely and actionable. It reframes the conversation usefully: the problem is not a lack of innovation or ambition, but a failure to scale what already works. That framing matters because it points toward tractable policy levers rather than distant technological fixes.

About the author:  Economist Impact is a division of The Economist Group that combines evidence-based research  with the creativity of a media brand to inform, engage, and catalyze action on global issues. It partners with  NGOs, and governments, providing expertise in policy research, events, and data visualization, with a focus on sustainability, healthcare, and new globalization.

                                                                                  – S Hansch, WHES Board of Directors

Food Fortification Efficiently Prevents Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency

A new analysis of food fortification programs finds that the fortification of consumer foods is cost-effective in the majority of contexts in reducing deficiency diseases of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).  The findings are available online, as published by Elise Cogo, Ferruccio Pelone, et al in the new edition of the Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 156, Issue 4.

Called a systematic review, the study culled through existing databases to tease out the incremental cost-effectivneess ratios of fortification, by nutrient.  Fifty-six studies were used, drawing on over 200 analyses, covering 63 low or medium income countries.  Not included were biofortification, home fortification, probiotics or pills.

The authors explain, “Large-scale food fortification (LSFF) (conducted at the postharvest, food processing stage) is a system-level intervention defined as, ..deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients, i.e., vitamins and minerals (including trace elements), in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and to provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health”.. Most frequent interventions were as follows: vitamin A, folic acid, iron, and iodine added to cereal grains/products (e.g., flours), oils, and condiments (e.g., sugar, salt).”

The study focused primarily on cost-effectiveness rather than directly measuring health outcomes, but key health benefits are embedded in how cost-effectiveness was calculated.  The key findings include that 84% of analyses found fortification costs less than $1,000 per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted (per healthy year of life gained or death prevented) and 58% cost less than $150 per healthy year gained. These are considered very favorable numbers.

Specific nutrients and conditions addressed by the studies included vitamin A deficiency, iron deficiency and anemia, iodine deficiency, neural tube birth defects (linked to folic acid), and conditions like goiter and encephalopathy.

See:  “Cost-Effectiveness of Food Fortification for Reducing Global Malnutrition: A Systematic Review of Economic Evaluations Across 63 Countries”, Journal of Nutrition https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316626000301?via%3Dihub