Pope Blasts Use of Hunger as a Weapon of War

Rome: Pope Leo XIV on Monday blasted the use of hunger as a weapon of war in a message to the 44th United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) conference, which is currently taking place in Rome. “We are currently witnessing with despair the iniquitous use of hunger as a weapon of war,” the American pontiff said. “Starving people to death is a very cheap way of waging war.”

According to Ansa News Agency, the message did not refer specifically to the situation in Gaza or the war between Israel and Hamas. Pope Leo XIV emphasized that the Catholic Church supports “all initiatives to put an end to the outrage of hunger in the world” and highlighted the impact of conflict on food security.

The pontiff pointed out that modern conflicts often involve groups of armed civilians rather than regular armies. These groups, with limited resources, employ tactics such as burning land, stealing livestock, and blocking aid to control unarmed populations. In such conflicts, water supply networks and communication routes become the first military targets.

Pope Leo XIV noted that farmers are unable to sell their produce in environments threatened by violence, leading to soaring inflation. This situation results in large numbers of people facing starvation, while political leaders benefit from the profits of conflict. He stressed that political crises, armed conflicts, and economic turbulence significantly worsen the food crisis, hindering humanitarian aid and compromising local agricultural production.

The Pope urged for healing the wounds and fractures caused by years of selfishness and superficiality. He warned that without peace and stability, it would be impossible to ensure resilient agricultural and food systems or guarantee a healthy, accessible, and sustainable food supply for all.