Msgr. Fernando Chica Arellano, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations food and agriculture agencies in Rome, said at a conference that “the rising costs of energy and fertilizers, coupled with uncertainty in supply chains, are driving up production costs and exacerbating food price volatility, particularly in vulnerable countries that depend on imports.”
“The escalation of the current conflict in the Middle East will have consequences beyond borders and further worsen hunger worldwide, especially among the most vulnerable populations,” the diplomat warned at the 38th session of the Regional Conference for the Middle East.
In its report, Vatican News, the news agency of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, inaccurately described the Vatican diplomat as an archbishop. The Annuario Pontificio notes that Father Arellano was named a monsignor in 2016, but has not been named a bishop.