Ukraine war diverts attention from hunger, pope says in Somalia appeal

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Pope Francis said on Sunday that the war in Ukraine had distracted attention from the problem of world hunger and called for urgent food aid to stave off looming famine in Somalia. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said this month that it could officially declare famine in eight regions of Somalia next month if livestock continue to die, key commodity prices rise further and humanitarian assistance fails to reach the most vulnerable. Francis told pilgrims and tourists in the square that he wanted to draw attention "to the grave humanitarian crisis that has hit Somalia and some areas of bordering countries".