Pope Francis said the war in Ukraine has diverted attention from the problem of world hunger and called for urgent food aid to prevent famine in Somalia.
“The people of this region, who are already living in very precarious conditions, are now in danger of their lives because of the drought,” he said in a speech on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, referring to the Horn of Africa.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said this month it could officially declare famine in eight regions of Somalia next month if livestock continue to die, prices of key commodities continue to rise and humanitarian aid fails to reach the most vulnerable.
In his address to worshipers and tourists in the square, Pope Francis wanted to draw attention to what he said was a severe humanitarian crisis affecting Somalia and some areas of border countries.
