The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on March 17-18, 2026, that the ongoing Middle East conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran risks pushing global hunger to an all-time record
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Summary
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on March 17-18, 2026, that the ongoing Middle East conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran risks pushing global hunger to an all-time record. WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau stated in Geneva that if the conflict continues through June, an additional 45 million people could be pushed into acute hunger due to rising food and fuel prices, bringing the global total to approximately 363-365 million. The war, now in its third week, is severely disrupting humanitarian supply chains and global shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, causing shipping costs to rise by 18%. This crisis compounds existing pressures from extreme weather and other conflicts, which had already left about 319-320 million people acutely food insecure. The WFP warned that rising costs could price families out of staple foods far beyond the conflict region, with Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia being particularly vulnerable due to their reliance on food and fuel imports.
★ Why It Matters
The warning highlights how a regional geopolitical conflict can trigger a severe global food security crisis, potentially reversing years of development progress and overwhelming humanitarian systems already strained by climate shocks and other crises. It underscores the interconnectedness of global supply chains and the disproportionate impact of war and inflation on the world's most vulnerable populations.