Food prices surge 20% in Afghanistan as Hormuz crisis disrupts supply routes

The World Food Programme (WFP) says food prices in Afghanistan have risen by 20 percent amid the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, raising serious concerns over worsening food insecurity across the country.

John Aylieff, WFP Country Director in Afghanistan, told The Guardian on Monday (May 4) that the transportation of food supplies to Afghanistan is now taking around three weeks longer than usual. He added that rising fuel prices have significantly increased logistics and transport costs.

According to him, the cost of delivering humanitarian food assistance to Afghanistan has tripled due to the disruption, placing millions of vulnerable people at greater risk of losing access to essential aid.

Aylieff warned that if the situation continues, it could lead to widespread hunger, particularly among children, and may even result in preventable deaths.

He further explained that shipments of fortified biscuits—previously transported through the Strait of Hormuz—are now being rerouted through overland corridors passing through seven countries, making deliveries longer, more expensive, and more complex.

The disruption comes amid heightened tensions in the region involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which have led to rising oil prices, global trade disruptions, and increased costs of basic food commodities worldwide.