Global hunger could rise to historic high if Iran war continues until June – WFP

Tens of millions more people could face acute hunger if the war in Iran continues into June, according to an analysis by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) published on Tuesday.

The US and Israeli attacks on Iran, which began on February 26, have blocked key humanitarian aid routes and delayed vital supplies to some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

WFP Deputy Executive Director Karl Skau said that an additional 45 million people could face acute hunger due to rising food, oil and transport prices. In that case, the total number of people suffering from acute food shortages in the world would exceed the current record of 319 million.

“This would raise the level of global hunger to a historic high, and that is a very worrying prospect,” he said.

Skau added that even before the war began, the world was in a “perfect storm,” with famine already at record levels in both the number of people and the depth of the food crisis.

He said WFP’s shipping costs had increased by 18 percent since the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, and some routes had to be rerouted. The additional costs come on top of a significant reduction in funding for the program as many donors are now spending more on defense.

Tags: food security