Pope Francis on Monday decried starvation in the world, saying it is being used as a weapon of war in conflict zones, in violation of international law. He urged the 'denaturalisation' of hunger.
"In some cases, hunger itself is used as a weapon of war," Francis said, referring to sieges preventing the distribution of food in conflict zones.
He was speaking to some 1,000 WFP staff during his first visit to the United Nations World Food Programme in Rome, an address webcast live to WFP offices around the world.
"The death count multiplies because the number of people dying of hunger and thirst is added to that of battlefield casualties and the civilian victims of conflicts and attacks."
Francis said he fully supported the "great" goal agreed by all UN member states of eradicating hunger by 2030 and warned against consumerism that has inured societies to hunger and poverty.
"Little by little we are growing immune to other people’s tragedies, seeing them as something 'natural',” the pontiff stated.
“We are bombarded by so many images that we see pain but do not touch it, we hear weeping, but do not comfort it, we see thirst but do not quench it."
But there is nothing natural about so many people facing starvation Francis said, deploring hunger as a "scourge...due to a selfish and wrong distribution of resources, and 'merchandising' of food."
He urged the international community to "debureaucratise" aid and eliminate food waste, praising WFP for its work at the frontline of fighting hunger.
"Thank you and please pray for me so that I too can do something against hunger in the world,” the papal address concluded.
