Pope denounces use of hunger as weapon of war, urges world leaders 'not to look the other way'

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday denounced the use of hunger as a weapon of war as he urged world leaders to act responsibly and focus on the multitudes across the globe who face hunger, wars and misery.

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During an address on World Food Day at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, Leo urged the international community to not look the other way, at a time of dwindling foreign aid budgets.

The pope named the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, along with Haiti, Afghanistan, Mali, the Central African Republic, Yemen and South Sudan. He cited U.N. data showing that around 673 million people do not eat enough each day.