UN Launches Task Force for Safe Fertilizer Transit Through Hormuz

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on Friday the creation of a dedicated interagency task force aimed at developing technical mechanisms to ensure the safe passage of fertilizers and related raw materials through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route threatened by the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The initiative responds to growing fears that disruptions in the strait, which handles about 30 percent of international fertilizer trade, could severely impact humanitarian needs and agricultural production worldwide. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that the ongoing tensions, including risks of further escalation in the Iran conflict, threaten to create ripple effects on food security, particularly as planting seasons begin in major agricultural regions. "As the conflict in the Middle East unfolds and threatens to intensify, disruptions in maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz risk creating ripple effects impacting humanitarian needs and agricultural production in the coming months," Dujarric said. "Immediate action is essential to mitigate these consequences."

The task force, led by Under-Secretary-General Jorge Moreira...