Author William Lambers

Sandy Berger, the former national security advisor to President Bill Clinton, passed away today at age 70. Berger was suffering from cancer.

Yesterday, Berger had been presented by the World Food Program USA with its inaugural Global Humanitarian Award. Berger had been a leader in helping the organization advocate for world hunger relief.

Rick Leach, President and CEO of World Food Program USA, said yesterday, “We are honoring one of America’s most devoted and influential humanitarian champions. On behalf of WFP USA, Sandy has been our principal voice in advocating that the U.S. and the world respond effectively to the greatest humanitarian challenge of our generation.”

Berger had served as the Treasurer/Secretary of WFP USA’s Board of Directors and as a member of its Executive Committee and Public Policy Working Group. His work closely integrated national security and fighting world hunger. He believed that feeding the hungry should be a top national security priority.

In an article at Foreignpolicy.com earlier this year, Berger wrote, “the presence of hunger and homelessness in large numbers weakens the grip of central authority, creating open spaces and desperate people for Islamic extremists and other militants to exploit.”

He served most recently as a Chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group. The World Food Program USA said today “Those who suffer from hunger, those in need around the world, directly benefited from the life of Sandy Berger. For much of his career, Sandy worked as a statesman dedicated to building peace.”

You can read the World Food Program USA’s full statement on Sandy Berger here.