Pope Leo XIV visited the World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome on June 22, 2026, where he sharply criticized world leaders for prioritizing conflicts over addressing hunger. He said, “Conflicts are 'fed' more readily than people are nourished,” highlighting what he called "a fundamental imbalance in political and moral priorities" [1, 2].
The pope described access to food as a fundamental human right grounded in dignity and stressed that "food security is an essential component of global and integral security" [3, 4]. He lamented that humanitarian crises often take a back seat to national security, economic growth, and domestic stability.
During his address, Pope Leo urged governments to increase spending on hunger relief and avoid restricting food aid based on geopolitical interests [1, 2, 3]. After the speech, he joined a virtual call with WFP workers in Venezuela and Lebanon to hear directly from frontline aid workers about ongoing needs [2, 4]. He also met with Cindy McCain, the former WFP director who resigned earlier this year for health reasons [1, 2].
The WFP, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, fed 121 million people around the world last year through 15.6 billion daily rations, funded by about US$6.5 billion in voluntary donations [1, 2, 3]. Its long-term programs include providing school meals to 466 million children worldwide to support education and human development [5].
Last week, the WFP warned that acute food insecurity will worsen between June and November 2026 in 13 countries due to conflict, funding shortages, and climate shocks [2, 4]. The US, the largest donor, announced an $800 million contribution in mid-June 2026, reversing earlier funding cuts under former President Donald Trump that had more than halved its aid [1, 2, 3, 4].
The WFP does not receive direct UN budget funding and aims to raise US$13 billion for 2026 to meet rising global hunger needs [4]. Pope Leo’s visit brought renewed attention to the gap between political priorities and feeding the world’s hungry. The WFP will continue addressing urgent food crises amid growing challenges in the coming months [2, 4].
