Pope Leo XIV Visits WFP Headquarters in Rome, Calls Food Access a Fundamental Right

Pope Leo XIV visited the World Food Programme headquarters in Rome on 22 June 2026 and stated that access to adequate food is a fundamental human right. He called on the international community to increase commitment and resources to tackle the root causes of hunger and malnutrition.

AllAfrica reported that the Pope said meeting food needs alleviates suffering and addresses underlying causes of geopolitical instability.

He noted that conflicts are fed more readily than people are nourished, reflecting operational shortcomings and an imbalance in political and moral priorities. The Pope described food security as an essential component of global and integral security.

He said the WFP represents a concrete expression of international solidarity and helps prevent humanitarian crises from deteriorating where national institutions recede.

WFP data cited in the report showed 266 million people across 48 countries were acutely food insecure in 2025. The agency's food, cash and nutrition assistance reached 121 million people across more than 120 countries and territories that year. During the visit the Pope laid a wreath at the WFP memorial wall honoring 171 staff members who died in service.

He also met virtually with frontline staff and addressed employees outside the headquarters building. WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau said conflicts tear apart markets, farms, roads and trust, bringing people to the brink of famine from Gaza to Sudan.

Former WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain called the Pope a powerful champion of the hundreds of millions who go to bed hungry every night and said the call for peace has never been more urgent.