ISTANBUL

Pope Leo XIV has denounced the use of food as a weapon of war, calling it a “cruel strategy” that deprives people of their fundamental right to life and urging world leaders to act decisively to end hunger.

Speaking at the headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome on Thursday, World Food Day, and the agency’s 80th anniversary, the pontiff condemned the growing trend of starvation being used as a tool in modern conflicts.

"Food must never be a weapon," Leo said, warning that such actions "deny men, women, and children their most basic right, the right to life," reported Vatican News, the official outlet of the Holy See.

Telling how the UN Security Council previously classified starvation as a war crime, he lamented that “this consensus seems to have faded.”

“The silence of those dying of hunger cries out in the conscience of humanity,” said Leo. “Hunger is not humanity’s destiny but its downfall. It is not just a problem to be solved; it is a cry that rises to heaven.”

The pope’s remarks come as millions across conflict zones, including Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen, and the Sahel region, face acute food shortages, often deliberate. He urged governments and international organizations to uphold moral responsibility, protect civilians, and ensure food security for all.

Leo’s address formed part of a broader appeal for renewed global cooperation and ethical leadership, stressing that “the human person must always be placed above profit.”