The World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East is driving a sharp surge in global food, fuel, and fertiliser prices, threatening to push an additional 45 million people into acute hunger .
In a joint statement with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the WFP said the conflict “has already triggered one of the largest disruptions to global energy markets in modern history” . Sharp increases in oil, gas, and fertiliser prices, coupled with transport bottlenecks and port congestion, are driving up the cost of essential goods from Africa to Asia .
Impact in Nigeria
In Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, the crisis is already being felt. “It’s affecting me a lot,” said Mummy Christiana, a market trader. “With my 5,000 naira (about US$3.70), I can hardly buy anything” . The WFP noted that households spending 50 to 70 percent of their income on food are the most vulnerable to these price shocks .
Millions at Risk
The WFP estimates that if the conflict continues through mid-year, the global total of acutely food-insecure people could reach 363 million — one of the highest levels on record . Nearly two-thirds of those at risk are in Africa and Asia .
The crisis is also disrupting fertiliser supplies, threatening upcoming planting seasons for smallholder farmers . In Myanmar, diesel prices have surged by nearly 200 percent, while food prices have risen by about 19 percent nationwide since late February .
Humanitarian Operations Under Strain
“Keeping humanitarian supply chains moving is not optional. They are literal lifelines for millions of people already on the brink of hunger,” said Corinne Fleischer, WFP Director of Supply Chain . The agency warned that rising operational costs are reducing its ability to reach those most in need .
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