Feature news: WCC, partners call hunger a moral crisis, not fate

As 27% of children under five in Rwanda continue to experience stunting and global military spending reaches $2.7 trillion annually, faith leaders from Christian, Muslim, and other traditions are uniting to confront child hunger and malnutrition as violations of human dignity and collective responsibility. A boy prays before a meal in Knox United Methodist Church in Manila, Philippines. Once a week, the church opens up to poor residents of the neighborhood, offering food, showers, fellowship, a meal, worship, and an educational opportunity for the children. Credit: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth Pictures 26 January 2026 A new report launched by the World Vision, World Council of Churches (WCC) and Caritas Internationalis documents field-level nutrition dialogues across 20 countries and presents a faith leaders' statement calling for strengthened social protection, humanitarian investment, and an end to the weaponization of hunger in conflict settings including Sudan and Palestine. The Faith Community Impact on Hunger and Nutrition Report was presented at a global webinar hosted by World Vision on 20 January. The event brought together field offices, faith leaders, and international partners to share evidence from 93 faith-based nutrition dialogues conducted in 2025 across six regions, engaging 7,697 participants. "Faith communities are not peripheral actors. They are often central, trusted, and enduring forces in the lives of children and families," said Paul Thakur Deepesh, who moderated the webinar for World Vision. "This is not just a report. It is a moment for reflection, alignment, and forward-looking action." Dinesh Suna, WCC programme executive for land, water, and food and coordinator of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network, underscored the WCC's global reach—356 member churches in 120 countries representing 600 million members. "Hunger in a world of plenty is not inevitable; it’s a choice," he said. He pointed to misplaced priorities: "2023 witnessed $2.7 trillion [in] global military [spending] whereas war and conflicts are pushing children to starvation." Faith communities as frontline actors Speakers made clear that faith communities are often the first responders where state services are limited or overwhelmed. Rather than a data collection exercise, the dialogues were listening exercises focused on lived experiences of hunger, dignity, care, and responsibility. Field offices gave concrete examples. In the Philippines, dialogues highlighted parental influence and the need for a shift in mindset toward stewardship. In the Asian country, faith leaders consistently emphasize that parents are the most decisive factor in children's nutrition. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 27 faith leaders' nutrition dialogues attended by 917 religious leaders were organized. Joint statement launched at FAO Committee on World Food Security A joint statement developed by the WCC, World Vision, and Caritas Internationalis was launched at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Committee on World Food Security in Rome (20–24 October 2025). The statement frames hunger amid abundance as a moral failure. It calls on governments, institutions, and faith communities to strengthen social protection and increase humanitarian investment. It also demands action to address debt constraints affecting nutrition investment and to reject the weaponization of hunger in conflict contexts. Mirko Tedesqui from World Vision, in presenting the statement, emphasized that hunger is not only a technical problem but also a deeply moral issue, adding that feeding the hungry is a sacred duty, not optional. Musamba Mubanga from Caritas Internationalis highlighted that one of the most powerful opportunities lies in amplifying local voices within the global policy space. He explained that faith actors are not only service providers but credible policy advocates. Recommendations from the dialogues focus on integrating faith actors into nutrition coordination mechanisms, strengthening referral pathways between faith institutions and health services, and equipping faith leaders with practical tools and co-created guidance to support behavior change and advocacy. WCC calls for faith-led action on right to food at FAO panel in Rome (Press Release, 06 November 2025) Faith groups launch hunger statement at UN food security meeting in Rome (Feature story, 27 October 2025) #Webinar - Faith and Action for Nutrition - Global webinar See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland