War Over Food
Pope Leo XIV Criticizes Global Leaders for Prioritizing Wars Over Feeding Hungry Populations
Anonymous
Key Points
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Pope Leo urged governments not only to increase hunger-fighting budgets, but also to avoid placing “limits based on geopolitical considerations” on food aid.
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In a more detailed critique of how aid is slowed, Leo said that “forms of aid and development projects are obstructed by involved and incomprehensible political decisions, skewed ideological visions and impenetrable customs barriers, weaponry is not,” arguing conflicts are therefore “fed” more readily than people are nourished.
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AP reported that the U.S. reset of aid included broader policy changes: the Trump administration “abolished” USAID last year, cutting “$60 billion in overall assistance,” while under the December reset the U.S. restored funding to the WFP and announced “$218 million in assistance to UNICEF.”
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Reuters added operational scale: the WFP said it provided “15.6 billion daily rations to 121 million people in 2025,” funded by “$6.5 billion” in private donations.
Pope Leo XIV visited the World Food Programme's headquarters in Rome on June 22 and delivered a sharp rebuke of world leaders. He said wars are being "fed" far more easily than hungry people are nourished, calling global priorities "badly skewed." The Independent reported that Leo urged governments to increase funding to fight hunger and cut the red tape that slows food aid to a crawl.
The speech landed amid a severe funding crisis. Food-aid funding has dropped 59% since 2022, according to AP News, even as the WFP served 121 million people in 2025. The agency's 2026 appeal — estimated at up to $13 billion — remains severely underfunded.
Leo's Blunt Case: Weapons Move, Food Does Not
Pope Leo did not mince words in his critique. He said "forms of aid and development projects are obstructed by involved and incomprehensible political decisions, skewed ideological visions and impenetrable customs barriers" — but weaponry is not. His point: the world has made it easier to start wars than to stop hunger. He called access to adequate food a "fundamental human right."
Leo also warned governments not to place "limits based on geopolitical considerations" on food aid. He said hunger erodes social cohesion, raises the risk of conflict, and drives forced migration. The remarks echoed warnings previously made by his predecessor, Pope Francis, The Independent noted.
USAID Abolition Left a $60 Billion Hole in Global Aid
The backdrop to Leo's speech is a dramatic U.S. pullback from global aid. On January 20, 2025, President Trump froze nearly all foreign assistance and began dissolving USAID. AP News reported that the administration "abolished" the agency entirely, cutting "$60 billion in overall assistance." Surviving functions were moved to the State Department.
The fallout was immediate and large. Global food-aid funding fell sharply. Experts at the Brookings Institution estimate total aid dropped 40–50% compared to 2024 levels. The WFP warned that without full 2026 funding, millions of preventable deaths — particularly among children under five — are likely.
U.S. Pledges $800 Million to WFP After Earlier Cuts
On June 16, just days before Leo's speech, the U.S. State Department announced a $1 billion package: $800 million for the WFP and $218 million for UNICEF, AP News reported. The White House called it a "lifeline" delivered through a more accountable system. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt argued the administration is saving "more lives for fewer taxpayer dollars."
The pledge follows a December 2025 "Humanitarian Reset" agreement between the U.S. and UN. That deal replaced fragmented grants with larger bilateral awards to vetted partners. Critics say the new system has created its own delays — the very kind Leo condemned in Rome.
WFP's Scale Is Vast — and Still Not Enough
The WFP's operational reach is enormous. Reuters reported that the agency provided 15.6 billion daily rations to 121 million people in 2025, funded by $6.5 billion in donations. Yet 266 million people remain acutely food insecure worldwide, and the 2026 funding gap is still severe.
Leo's visit was his most direct engagement yet with the hunger crisis. He first addressed the FAO on World Food Day in October 2025, warning that 673 million people go hungry and denouncing the "use of hunger as a weapon of war." His message on June 22 was the same — but louder, and aimed squarely at the leaders writing the checks.
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