221. National Security Decision Directive 1431
U.S. Third World Hunger Relief: Emergency Assistance (U)
NSSD 1–842 established the terms of reference for a study aimed at producing new, effective initiatives to address Third World hunger problems; that is, both emergency situations and longer-term problems and how U.S. and donor country food aid programs affect these cases. (C)
[Page 604]The study of the emergency food aid situation focused on how to reduce the loss of life caused by grave food crises in the Third World.3 This study has reviewed initiatives to meet the following objectives: to respond more rapidly in delivering food to Third World countries experiencing food crises; to distribute food in-country more effectively; to improve the quality of food/transport/distribution information and methods of forecasting acute food crises; to seek greater international cooperation to deal effectively with acute hunger problems through existing public and private fora; to increase public, business and foreign awareness of U.S. hunger relief programs and the hunger problem in the Third World; and to seek greater international cooperation in response to acute hunger problems. (C)
In order to meet these objectives to help reduce loss of life caused by acute food crises, ten actions are to be taken as recommended by the NSSD 1–84 Study Group:
1) The prepositioning of P.L. 480 Title II grain in selected Third World areas for immediate distribution in a starvation situation.
2) The establishment of a special no-year, $50 million Presidential fund to permit timely response to aggravated food situations.4
3) The amortization of ocean freight charges for P.L. 480 Title I food aid in certain special cases.
4) The paying of in-country distribution costs of P.L. 480 Title II emergency food aid for certain of the poorest Third World countries to permit an effective distribution of food aid.
5) The refinement of USDA and AID analytical methods for better estimates of Third World emergency food needs.
6) The formation of an interagency Emergency Food Needs Research Working Group, chaired by USDA under the Development Coordination Committee, to develop better analytical techniques and data bases for gauging emergency food requirements and forecasting acute food crises. This group would also consider coordinating steps [Page 605] with other donor governments and international food organizations on the assessment of emergency food needs. Transportation bottlenecks and inefficiencies should be reviewed with appropriate recommendations forwarded.
7) A Special Planning Group meeting on Public Diplomacy is to be held to establish a White House-directed public information program, in conjunction with this year’s observance of the 30th anniversary of P.L. 480, to increase U.S. and foreign awareness of USG food aid initiatives and the nature of the Third World hunger problem.
8) The formation of a Third World Food Problems Subcommittee under the State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Investment, Technology and Development, to permit business leaders to share information on Third World hunger problems and to address these concerns in a cooperative manner.
9) The NSSD 1–84 Working Group will continue to study and clarify what type of coordination, cooperation or actions the USG should seek from other donor governments and international organizations on the emergency food aid problem. This study shall be completed within 2 months with appropriate actions recommended.5
10) The noted study on international cooperation will, in particular, consider recommending a high-level donors meeting or other similar measures to improve international coordination in effectively meeting food aid emergencies. Negotiations and communications with other countries on these matters shall continue through existing, approved methods. (C)
These ten actions are designed to improve the efficiency of the USG’s emergency food aid programs. Funding for these ten initiatives will thus come from the projected assistance budgets for fiscal years FY 85 and beyond. An OMB-chaired interagency task force, under the NSSD 1–84 Working Group, will take steps to ensure the timely implementation of these actions. (C)
- Source: Reagan Library, African Affairs Directorate, NSC: Records, AF Famine [05/20/84–09/30/84]. Confidential.↩
- See Document 218.↩
- See Document 219 and attachment thereto.↩
- In a June 21 memorandum to McFarlane, Levine wrote: “Peter McPherson has never supported the Third World Hunger Relief Study,” adding, “McPherson will state that this $50 million fund should not, as the NSDD states, be funded from our existing budgets. In fact, the $50 million can come from windfalls from shippings savings with our current P.L. 480 program that amount to that sum. Also our P.L. 480 grant program has increased from $515 million in 1982 to $800 million in 1984. There is clearly money for the Presidential fund. McPherson, however, is trying to use up the shipping windfall money for non-emergency food aid programs so that the money may not be applied to our Presidential fund concept. McPherson, I understand, is also telling the Hill that creation of a Presidential fund within existing resources will soak up $50 million that would otherwise go into the mouths of the hungry. In fact, if we submit legislation on our initiatives early, as is our intent, the fund will speed matters up.” (Reagan Library, Rosenberg Files, Food for Progress—Keating Group [Famine] 06/07/1984–08/06/1984)↩
- Reference is presumably to Document 236.↩