Pope to WFP: Conflicts are ‘fed’ more readily than people are nourished

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

“Together, we share the urgent task of confronting hunger and malnutrition, while also tackling the underlying structural causes that sustain them. To meet this task effectively, we must examine the challenges before us, their underlying causes, and the paths toward lasting solutions.”

Pope Leo XIV expressed this during his address to the Executive Board of the United Nation’s World Food Programme at its Rome headquarters on Monday.

READ POPE LEO XIV’S FULL ADDRESS AT WFP

In his remarks, he stressed that multilateralism is essential and that basic needs like water, food, and healthcare cannot be subordinated to geopolitical interests.

The Pope thanked the intergovernmental institution for its dedication to saving lives in emergency situations and providing food assistance amid conflicts and natural disasters, noting their institution’s commitment resonates profoundly with the Catholic Church’s mission to uphold human dignity and to foster fraternity, rooted in the Gospel’s call to love our neighbor.

Today, he observed, crises have evolved from isolated events into persistent realities, marked by prolonged conflicts, chronic food insecurity, economic volatility, and growing climate vulnerabilities.

This reality, he noted, raises a fundamental question of “what configuration of the global order is capable of producing, reproducing, and, at times, normalizing such conditions?”

He said the issue is no longer limited to how to intervene, but rather “extends to understanding why the system constantly produces the very problems it is then forced to correct.”

Increasingly fragmented international order

He lamented that the international order has become increasingly fragmented, arising in part from the crisis of the multilateral system, observing that states have increasingly allocated their resources towards national security, economic growth, and domestic stability, disregarding the close link between these issues and multilateral cooperation.

This trend, the Holy Father noted, reveals a striking paradox, where “unprecedented global productive capacity exists alongside expanding zones of extreme vulnerability.”

“It is precisely within the gap between acknowledgement in principle and prioritization in practice,” he continued, “that we witness the progressive bureaucratization of solidarity alongside the quiet commodification of human life.”

On the one hand, he said, humanitarian action is increasingly burdened by bureaucratic procedures that can delay assistance to those in need, but on the other, access to essential goods, including food, is too often influenced by economic or strategic considerations.

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Conflicts are “fed” more readily than people are nourished

As a result, he lamented, those who do not generate quantifiable value risk becoming invisible.

“This twofold dynamic,” he lamented, “creates a serious ethical challenge: the human person is no longer consistently placed at the center of international action.”

In this context, Pope Leo said, it is important to acknowledge, as Pope Francis had emphasized, “that whereas forms of aid and development projects are obstructed by involved and incomprehensible political decisions, skewed ideological visions and impenetrable customs barriers, weaponry is not.”

“In effect,” the Pope said, “conflicts are “fed” more readily than people are nourished. This reality reflects not only operational shortcomings but also a fundamental imbalance in political and moral priorities.”

WFP’s presence helps prevent crises from deteriorating

The Pope recalled that consequences extend well beyond those immediately affected.

More than merely a humanitarian concern, hunger, Pope Leo said, erodes social cohesion, heightens the risk of conflict, and fuels forced migration.

From this perspective, he underscored that humanitarian action is not extraneous to the international order and highlighted the global community’s responsibility to strengthen solidarity, resist exclusion, and recognize the inherent God-given dignity of every person.

“Beyond managing crises, therefore, international institutions embody a principle of shared responsibility and affirm that the international community is bound together by concern for those in the most vulnerable situations.”

In this sense, he stated, “the World Food Programme is more than a political, economic, or technical actor; it is a concrete expression of international solidarity. Indeed, where national institutions recede and community networks disintegrate, its presence helps to prevent humanitarian crises from deteriorating into irreversible collapse.”

Renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation

For this reason, he stressed that a renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation is essential.

“I wish to appeal to the governments and peoples of the world,” he said, “to renew and strengthen their commitment, to increase the resources dedicated to combating hunger and its root causes, and to remove the obstacles that prevent aid from reaching those in need. At the same time, such support should also strengthen engagement with the Church and civil society. Reinforcing the capacities of all these actors together will multiply our collective effectiveness in the fight against hunger.”

Implementing this appeal, he insisted, effectively requires reducing unnecessary bureaucracy so that transparency and accountability serve people rather than impede assistance. In situations where governments lack effective territorial control or humanitarian access is restricted, he added, trusted local partners become indispensable.

Supporting the Catholic Church’s humanitarian efforts

Noting that the Catholic Church—through parishes, dioceses, Caritas agencies, and other faith-based initiatives—often reaches vulnerable populations in areas inaccessible to international actors, the Pope encouraged the World Food Programme and its partners to continue supporting these efforts.

He stressed that meeting dietary needs not only alleviates suffering but also addresses underlying causes of geopolitical instability, for “food security is an essential component of global and integral security.”

In this regard, he praised the World Food Programme’s extension beyond emergency response operations to work on long-term initiatives, such as programs that provide meals to schoolchildren.

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Credibility of international cooperation itself at stake

Before drawing his address to a close, the Pope gave a stark warning.

“What is at stake,” he said, “is not only the effectiveness of an agency, but also the credibility of international cooperation itself,” as he observed that their organization demonstrates that a renewed path is possible.

However, he insisted that this requires the resolve to simplify what has become overly complex, to prioritize what is essential, and to ensure that no person is forgotten.

Finally, Pope Leo concluded, praying that God bless their efforts, “so that all may receive their daily bread and live in dignity.”