Pope Francis says world suffering a ‘famine of peace’

Pope Francis has said the world is suffering from a “famine of peace”, in his annual Christmas Day message from the Vatican.

He called for a end to the “senseless war” in Ukraine, condemning what he said was the use of “food as a weapon” of war.

Ukraine shipped about 30% of the world’s wheat and prices have jumped since the Russian invasion in February.

It was Pope Francis’ 10th Christmas Day address since he assumed the papacy.

While the war in Ukraine occupied much of his 10-minute speech, he remarked that “a grave famine of peace also in other regions and other theatres of this Third World War”.

He singled out conflicts and humanitarian crises in the Middle East, Myanmar, Haiti, and the Sahel region of Africa.

The pontiff also prayed for “reconciliation” in Iran, where mass anti-government protests have swept the country for more than three months. The protests there have been met by a crackdown, with more than 500 people, including 69 children, killed, human rights groups say.