Hunger should not be used as a weapon of war, Pope Leo says

Around the world, people are currently witnessing “with despair the iniquitous use of hunger as a weapon of war,” according to Pope Leo XIV.

The pontiff on Monday sent a message to participants of the annual conference of United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) taking place in Rome.

In his message, Leo said starving people to death “is a very cheap way of waging war.”

“That is why today, when most conflicts are not fought by regular armies but by groups of armed civilians with few resources, burning land and stealing livestock, blocking aid are tactics increasingly used by those who seek to control entire unarmed populations,” he said.

“Thus, in this type of conflict, the first military targets become water supply networks and communication routes. Farmers are unable to sell their produce in environments threatened by violence, and inflation soars. This leads to huge numbers of people succumbing to the scourge of starvation and perishing, with the aggravating circumstance that, while civilians languish in misery, political leaders grow fat on the profits of the conflict,” the pope continued.

He said the Catholic Church encourages all initiatives to put an end to the “outrage of hunger” in the world.

Leo said global food security continues to deteriorate, making it increasingly unlikely that the “Zero Hunger” goal of the 2030 Agenda will be achieved.

This target was declared in 2015 by the United Nations. However, the UN has noted that by 2022, approximately 735 million people – or 9.2 percent of the world’s population – found themselves in a state of chronic hunger – a staggering rise compared to 2019. In addition, the UN reported an estimated 2.4 billion people faced moderate to severe food insecurity in 2022.

“It will not help to postpone a solution to this devastating situation; on the contrary, the anguish and hardship of the needy will continue to grow, making the road even harder and more convoluted,” Leo told the FAO.

“It is therefore imperative to move from words to deeds, putting at the center effective measures that will enable these people to look at their present and their future with confidence and serenity, and not just with resignation, thus putting an end to the era of slogans and misleading promises. In this respect, we must not forget that sooner or later we will have to give an explanation to future generations, who will receive a legacy of injustices and inequalities if we do not act wisely now,” he said.

“Political crises, armed conflicts and economic turbulence play a central role in the worsening of the food crisis, hindering humanitarian aid and compromising local agricultural production, thus negating not only access to food, but also the right to lead a life of dignity and opportunity,” the pope said.

Leo added that it would be “a fatal error” not to heal the wounds and fractures caused by years of selfishness and superficiality.

“Likewise, without peace and stability, it will not be possible to guarantee resilient agricultural and food systems, nor to ensure a healthy, accessible and sustainable food supply for all. Hence the need for dialogue, where the parties involved are not only willing to talk to each other, but also to listen to each other, to understand each other and to act together,” he continued.

“There will be no shortage of obstacles, but with a sense of humanity and fraternity, the results can only be positive,” the pope said.

Leo noted that in the present era, the world is witnessing a huge polarization in international relations due to the existing crises and confrontations.

“Financial resources and innovative technologies are being diverted from the eradication of poverty and hunger in the world to the manufacture and trade of weapons. In this way, questionable ideologies are promoted while human relations cool, debasing communion and stifling fraternity and social friendship,” he said.

“Never before has it been more urgent than it is now for us to become peacemakers working for the common good, for what is good for all and not just for the few, who are always the same,” the pontiff continued.

“To ensure peace and development, understood as the improvement of the living conditions of populations suffering from hunger, war and poverty, concrete actions are needed, rooted in serious and far-sighted approaches,” Leo told the UN agency.

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