Pope Leo XIV Condemns Use of Food as Weapon of war Amidst Ongoing Gaza Conflict
ROME – Pope Leo XIV delivered a stark condemnation of the use of food as a weapon of war Thursday, speaking at the headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome.His remarks came as global hunger reaches record levels and the conflict in Gaza continues, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating earlier this week that “the fight is not over” in gaza and the region until the bodies of all hostages have been repatriated.
The Pope labeled the global failure to address widespread hunger a “collective failure, an ethical aberration, a historical sin,” noting the paradox of scientific advancements extending life expectancy while millions suffer. “At a time when science has extended life expectancy,when technology has brought the continents closer together (…) allowing millions of human beings to live – and die – victims of hunger is a collective failure,” he stated,marking the 80th anniversary of the FAO and World Food Day.
Leo XIV highlighted the scale of the crisis, stating that 673 million peopel worldwide go to bed hungry, characterizing this as a symptom of “ambient insensitivity, of a soulless economy” and “an unjust and unsustainable system of resource distribution.”
These figures are echoed in a recent report from the World Food Program (WFP), which found that world hunger has “reached record levels,” with 319 million people experiencing acute food insecurity, including 44 million in food emergencies. The report also indicated that the number of people facing famine or near-famine conditions has doubled in two years, reaching 1.4 million across Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and mali.
The Pope specifically criticized the intentional obstruction of food access in conflict zones, calling it a “cruel strategy” that violates international humanitarian law prohibiting attacks on civilians and essential infrastructure. The UN officially declared a state of famine in the Gaza Strip earlier this year,a situation compounded by netanyahu’s insistence on continuing military operations until all hostages are returned.
(GREGORIO BORGIA/AP) Pope Leo XIV at the headquarters of the Food and agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in Rome, October 16, 2025.
