\n\nPope Pope Leo XIV has criticised what he described as the growing “bureaucratisation of solidarity”, warning that excessive administrative processes are delaying humanitarian assistance to millions of people facing hunger and hardship around the world.
The pontiff made the remarks on Monday during a visit to the headquarters of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome, where he called on the international community to increase funding and remove barriers preventing aid from reaching vulnerable populations.
Pope Leo XIV said humanitarian needs often receive less attention despite repeated global commitments to reducing suffering and addressing food insecurity.
“It is precisely within the gap between acknowledgement in principle and prioritisation in practice that we witness the progressive bureaucratisation of solidarity alongside the quiet commodification of human life,” he said.
The pope argued that humanitarian operations are increasingly affected by complex procedures that slow down the delivery of emergency assistance, while access to basic necessities such as food is sometimes influenced by economic and strategic interests.
He warned that people who are unable to contribute measurable economic value risk being ignored, saying that the world must place human dignity above political and financial considerations.
The Catholic leader also criticised what he described as a global imbalance in priorities, noting that while humanitarian projects face obstacles, weapons and military resources continue to move freely across borders.
“In effect, conflicts are ‘fed’ more readily than people are nourished,” Pope Leo XIV said, describing the situation as a serious moral and political failure.
The pontiff urged governments, international organisations and individuals to increase support for agencies working to combat hunger, particularly the WFP, which provided assistance to millions of people affected by food crises globally.
The WFP has faced significant financial challenges in recent years due to reductions in funding from some major donor countries, even as humanitarian needs have increased due to conflicts, economic pressures and climate-related challenges.
The organisation has also struggled with rising operational costs and logistical difficulties linked to ongoing conflicts, including the war in the Middle East, which has affected the movement and cost of delivering aid in several regions.
Pope Leo XIV’s comments come amid growing concerns over global hunger, with humanitarian agencies warning that millions of people continue to face food insecurity due to conflict, displacement and economic instability.
The pope called for renewed international cooperation, urging world leaders to ensure that resources are directed toward saving lives and addressing the root causes of hunger.
