The conflict in the Middle East and blockades of key maritime routes threaten to trigger famine on an unprecedented global scale, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned. Due to the escalation of the conflict, WFP estimates that an additional 45 million people could be pushed into acute hunger, raising the total number of those affected worldwide to 363 million.
“With the escalation of violence, displacement, rising prices, and disruptions to food systems, families are being pushed closer to hunger, both in the region and beyond,” WFP said in a statement published on its website on Thursday.
South Asia is among the most vulnerable regions, and the United Nations has expressed particular concern about future crop yields. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where the planting season is beginning, farmers may lack essential resources for crop treatment, which could lead to lower yields and higher food prices in the coming months, WFP warned. “Even a slight increase in costs can push the most vulnerable families into crisis,” the statement added.
Matthew Hollingworth, Executive Director of Programme Operations at the World Food Programme, said that the organization is not prepared to respond to a “frightening level of food insecurity.”
The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. Founded in 1961 as a joint programme of the United Nations (UN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it now operates in more than 120 countries and territories.
