A new analysis released Tuesday by the World Food Programme (WFP) warns that the ongoing Iran conflict in the Middle East could push tens of millions of additional people into severe food insecurity if it continues until June.
The US-Israeli strikes against Iran, initiated on 28 February, have disrupted vital humanitarian supply lines, hindering the delivery of critical aid to several of the world’s most severe crisis zones, Reuters reports.
WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau informed reporters in Geneva that an estimated 45 million more individuals are expected to face acute hunger due to escalating prices of food, fuel, and transport, potentially raising the global total beyond its current unprecedented level of 319 million.
“This would take global hunger levels to an all-time record and it’s a terrible, terrible prospect,” Skau stated. He added, “Already, before this war, we were in a perfect storm where hunger has never been as severe as now, in terms of numbers and how deep that hunger is.”
Skau noted that the agency’s maritime freight expenses have climbed 18% since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on 28 February, forcing some shipments to be redirected. These added financial pressures coincide with significant budget reductions at the WFP, as donor nations increasingly prioritise defense spending, he explained.
