A Vatican diplomat criticized reductions in international development assistance amid rising military expenditures.
Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, told participants in a recent meeting of the United Nations Trade and Development Board that “it is concerning that LDCs [Least Developed Countries] have suffered almost 70% of all global food emergencies in the past 15 years. Meanwhile, as military expenditure continues to grow, Official Development Assistance (ODA) has fallen by over 25% to $23.5 billion in 2025.”
“In other words, conflicts are more readily ‘fed’ than people are nourished,” said Archbishop Balestrero. “This reveals a fundamental imbalance in political and moral priorities.”