THE conflict between the US, Israel and Iran continues to widen with far-reaching repercussions.The UN’s World Food Programme warns that if the fighting continues through June, another 45m could be pushed into acute hunger, raising the global total to unprecedented levels. With 319m people already facing acute food insecurity, the prospect of further escalation is daunting. Wars have long disrupted food systems, but the scale and interconnectedness of the modern global economy means that the shockwaves of this conflict are being felt thousands of miles away from the front lines. Since the strikes on Iran in late February, key shipping routes have been disrupted and humanitarian aid corridors obstructed. Shipping costs have gone up by about 18pc, pushing relief agencies to reroute aid and absorb additional expenses when already under severe budgetary stress. All this comes at a dangerous time for global food security. Several regions were already on the brink. In Gaza, border closures and limited aid have deepened shortages of essential goods. Around 200 aid trucks enter daily compared to the 600 that humanitarian agencies say are required to sustain the population. In Sudan, meanwhile, nearly half the population — more than 21m people — faces acute hunger amid a brutal civil war that has displaced millions and left entire areas inaccessible to aid workers.

The Iran war does not only endanger aid routes, it threatens much larger ripple effects. Rising shipping costs lead to higher food prices, particularly for import-dependent African and Asian countries. Many of these economies are already burdened with debt, a weak currency, and climate-related crop failures. Another spike in global food prices could push millions more households into crisis. Equally troubling is the shift in global priorities. Donor countries are funnelling more resources into defence spending amid rising geopolitical tensions. Consequently, humanitarian agencies are facing funding cuts. The WFP has already warned that several lifesaving programmes may have to be scaled back unless donors step forward. With no immediate end in sight to the conflict, the world is looking at not just a regional war, but the largest surge in hunger in modern history. Preventing such an outcome calls not only for diplomacy to stop the fighting, but also a commitment that the most vulnerable must never be left to starve amid geopolitical rivalries.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2026