Eliminating war is key to eliminating poverty, the former Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has said.

Speaking at the launch of Christian Aid's new report into poverty, "Reimagining paths to human flourishing", Dr Sentamu said that the war in Ukraine was a case in point.

"You cannot eliminate poverty without eliminating war," he said.

"In fact, war throws more people into poverty. At the moment, Ukraine is quite a clear example.

"No matter how wonderful that country was, war begins and it drives a lot of people into poverty."

Dr Sentamu, who is Christian Aid's Chair of Trustees, said that Christians must be the peacemakers who work to prevent war.

"We need to be people who love our neighbours and do our best to make sure that war does not actually happen because it kills more people, kills more of our neighbours, and we need to make friends with a number of people who are very different from us," he said.

Dr Sentamu said the reality of poverty "breaks the heart of God" and that eradicating it was "really a spiritual question". But he also said that Christians need to see Jesus among the poor.

"Those who have the love of God in their hearts don't see Jesus often among people living in poverty, they're looking somewhere else," he said.

"When I look at the poor, it is Jesus looking back at me. And if it's Jesus looking back at me, that gives me great hope that transforming our world from the world of deep poverty is a possibility.

"Being part of the church, I should be an instrument of transformation where I see everybody as my brother, where when I see people in poverty, it's Jesus looking at me."

He added that the only thing that can destroy Isaiah's vision of a world of peace "is the presence of war and the abuse of power and people being silent when others are being slaughtered".

Christian Aid's report was launched on Tuesday and is the culmination of a two-year project examining the cause and effect of poverty, and how it can be eradicated.

The report says that Ukraine and widespread famine in the Horn of Africa are evidence that too many promises have been "unfulfilled".

It calls for a re-think in approaches to international development to move beyond "the polarity of 'us' and 'them'" and recommends a "new path that moves on from growth-centred definitions of development and aid dependency to a vision of human flourishing that is just and sustainable and recognises people's interdependence".

Christian Aid's interim Chief Executive, Patrick Watt said: "In recent decades there has been remarkable progress to help those in need. But inequality, entrenched by the economic fallout of Covid-19, has slowed that progress and now the climate crisis and conflict threaten to throw it into reverse.

"Poverty is increasingly concentrated amongst people who face exclusion and discrimination.

"Eradicating poverty now requires fresh approaches that tackle inequality, strengthen people's voice and decision making and treat poverty as multi-dimensional."

The report has been endorsed by UN Special Envoy for Global Education and former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who said leaders must be challenged "to face the scandal of global poverty afresh".

"As a result of the pandemic, we have a health crisis, an economic crisis, and an education crisis, but we also have a poverty crisis, a social emergency which, if not addressed, will cost countless lost lives," he said.

"It is this generation's moral obligation to overcome extreme poverty and address inequalities, and we need to find new ways to strengthen those whose voices are often not heard.

"Christian Aid's poverty report is a hopeful call for justice founded on the realisation that we are responsible for one another to live flourishing lives."

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: "Christian Aid's report shows the gains that have been made in tackling extreme poverty in recent decades, but also the limits of progress to date.

"The pandemic has clearly exposed the deep, persistent inequalities that continue to blight our world, with women and girls in lower income countries being hit especially hard.

"No one can be left out of the fight against poverty. We must listen to and be led by the most marginalised, understanding their experiences and standing with them in claiming their rights."