Pope: ‘Hunger Must Not Be Used as a Weapon of War’

ROME, June 30, 2025: Pope Leo XIV strongly condemned the use of hunger as a weapon of war in a message he sent to delegates participating in the 44th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Conference in Rome.

This edition of the conference, which commenced on June 28 and will conclude on July 4, also marks the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the FAO.

In his message, the Pope stated that the Church supports all efforts to end global hunger, recalling Jesus’ care to feed the crowds who had come to hear Him speak.

“We realise that the true miracle accomplished by Christ was to show that the key to defeating hunger lies more in sharing than in greedily hoarding,” he said.

Pope Leo expressed grave concern over the deliberate use of starvation as a tactic in modern warfare.

“We are now witnessing, with deep sorrow, the inhumane use of hunger as a weapon of war,” he warned, describing it as a “very cheap way to wage war”. He criticised the growing trend of armed civilian groups targeting agricultural infrastructure and blocking humanitarian aid, which leaves civilian populations vulnerable and intensifies famine conditions.

"When conflict breaks out, farmers are unable to sell their produce and inflation skyrockets, leading millions of people to suffer from famine and food insecurity," the pope said.

Pope Leo urged the international community to establish legal and moral boundaries to hold accountable those who use food deprivation as a method of conflict. He cited political crises, armed conflicts, and economic disruption as key drivers of the worsening global food crisis. He stated that these key factors hinder humanitarian aid, undermine local agricultural production, and deprive people not only of access to food but also of the right to live a life of dignity and opportunity.

The Pope also called on people around the world to set aside selfishness and indifference. He urged them to engage in dialogue and mutual understanding to promote peace and stability. This, he emphasised, would enable societies to build resilient agrifood systems.

Pope Leo also emphasised that climate change and food systems are closely intertwined, meaning mistreatment of one deeply impacts the other.

“The social injustice caused by natural disasters and biodiversity loss must be reversed to achieve a just ecological transition, one that places both the environment and people at the centre,” he said.

He called for ecosystems to be protected through coordinated climate action in a spirit of solidarity since our world’s resources must be employed so that everyone is guaranteed food security.

Pope Leo lamented that financial resources and innovative technologies are being diverted to arms production and weapons trade.

“As a result, questionable ideologies are being promoted, while human relationships grow cold, corroding communion and driving away fraternity and social friendship,” he said.

In conclusion, Pope Leo invited everyone to be “artisans of peace, working for the common good” by setting aside sterile rhetoric and engaging with the issue of hunger with firm political will.

“To achieve this noble goal”, he said, “I wish to assure you that the Holy See will always serve the cause of harmony among peoples and will not grow weary of contributing to the common good of the family of nations, especially with regard to those most afflicted and those who suffer from hunger and thirst.”

Courtesy: Vatican News