UN Warns War on Iran Could Push 45 Million Toward Acute Hunger

The WFP emphasized that energy and food markets remain tightly linked, meaning the closure of the Strait of Hormuz acts as a primary catalyst for global price hikes. Carl Skau, the agency's deputy executive director, cautioned that the conflict is sending shockwaves through international markets, specifically threatening families already struggling to afford basic meals. Without significant humanitarian intervention, he warned the situation could spiral into a widespread catastrophe.

Projections indicate that the impact will be felt most acutely across several regions if the fighting persists. In East and Southern Africa, 17.7 million people face potential food insecurity, while West and Central Africa could see 10.4 million pushed toward hunger. Asia and the Middle East face additional increases of 9.1 million and 5.2 million people, respectively.

Beyond the economic fallout, the human toll of the conflict is mounting rapidly. More than 3 million people have been displaced within Iran, while hundreds of thousands have fled their homes in Lebanon. Aline Kamakian, working with the World Central Kitchen in Beirut, noted that official data likely underestimates the scale of this displacement. She described a city struggling to absorb arriving families amid a collapsing local economy, a shortage of housing, and the total erosion of essential infrastructure.