WFP Warns Middle East War Risks 45 Million More in Hunger

The United Nations' World Food Programme warned on Tuesday that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, sparked by United States and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, could drive an additional 45 million people into acute hunger by June if it persists. The projection, shared during a press conference in Geneva, would push the global total beyond the current record of 319 million people facing severe food insecurity.

Carl Skau, the WFP's deputy executive director, attributed the potential surge to sharp increases in food, oil, and shipping costs triggered by the war. "This would take global hunger levels to an all-time record, and it's a terrible, terrible prospect," Skau told reporters. He noted that shipping expenses have risen 18 percent since the conflict began, forcing aid convoys to take longer routes and delaying deliveries to some of the world's most critical humanitarian zones. These added pressures compound existing challenges for the WFP, which has implemented deep spending cuts as international donors redirect funds toward defense priorities.

The war has already disrupted key supply chains, exacerbating crises in regions like Gaza and Sudan. In Gaza, the...