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Middle East conflict pushing millions into hunger, WFP says
Households in Afghanistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka are among the most seriously affected and face mounting pressure due to higher fuel costs, food price spikes, income losses and disrupted trade.
The Middle East conflict is pushing millions of people closer to hunger, as rising fuel and transport costs drive up food prices while funding shortfalls force aid agencies to scale back assistance, the U.N. World Food Programme said on Friday.
Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered a regional conflict stretching across the Gulf and into Lebanon, disrupting key shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, forcing vessels to reroute and sharply constraining global energy flows and supply chains, Reuters reported.
In March, the WFP forecast as many as 45 million people could fall into acute food insecurity if oil prices remained around $100 per barrel through June. That scenario is now unfolding, the agency said, with benchmark crude prices staying above that level since early March.
Households in Afghanistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka are among the most seriously affected and face mounting pressure due to higher fuel costs, food price spikes, income losses and disrupted trade.
In Somalia, 6.5 million people – roughly a third of the population – are expected to face severe hunger in 2026, while Afghanistan could see 17.4 million people affected, the WFP said. The situation is projected to worsen, with an additional 2.5 million Somalis and 2.3 million Afghans at risk of falling into food insecurity if disruptions persist. Both countries are reliant on imported energy and food.
The Middle East crisis comes amid a deep funding shortfall for aid agencies. The WFP said it expected to serve 1.5 million fewer people globally in 2026, and 9 million fewer if the situation persists for six months.
In Somalia, supplies of nutritious food for children under 5 suffering from moderate malnutrition will run out as soon as July, as the WFP faces an 89% funding gap in the country.
“We are running out of food. The food is not available for distribution, and the ones who will experience the impact of this are going to be very vulnerable children,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, the director of WFP’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service.
The situation is being worsened by supply chain issues, with fewer ships stopping in Somalia because of disruptions which have affected shipping in the Indian Ocean, read the report.
Some WFP stocks have also been held up in Salalah Port in Oman, causing critical delays. Soaring jet fuel prices are also leading to higher operational costs for the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service – the only means to safely access hard-to-reach areas, the WFP said.
In Afghanistan, surging fuel prices have driven up aid transport costs as much as fivefold, and delivery times have shot up from 10 days up to as many as 75 days as trucks had to use alternative corridors, the WFP said.
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Pakistan’s envoy to Afghanistan discusses regional security with top officials in Islamabad
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, met with Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad on Friday and briefed him on the regional security situation.
According to Pakistani officials, the discussions focused particularly on security developments affecting Pakistan’s peace and stability.
Earlier on Thursday, Nizamani met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Islamabad. The meeting covered regional developments, including the evolving security situation and issues of relevance to Pakistan.
Dar stressed the importance of closely monitoring developments in the region, particularly those that could have implications for peace and security.
Speakers at a symposium on Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have called for moving beyond a conflict-centered approach and promoting dialogue, economic cooperation, regional connectivity and people-to-people engagement.
Pakistani journalist Tahir Khan reported that the symposium brought together senior government officials, technical experts, former ministers and bureaucrats, former vice chancellors, business and trade representatives, academics and researchers to discuss contemporary challenges and opportunities in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.
The Area Study Centre (Russia, China and Central Asia) at the University of Peshawar, in collaboration with ASPIRE-KP, hosted the symposium titled “Beyond Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict: Advancing Regional Peace and Mutual Understanding,” according to a statement posted online by the Area Study Centre.
Former Pakistani senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, speaking at the event, referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where Xi called for efforts to address conflicts, including the situation in Afghanistan.
“On Ukraine, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and other international and regional hotspot issues, China stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties, continue tackling both the symptoms and root causes of these issues, and promote political settlement,” Xi said on Tuesday.
The Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for the immediate reopening of the Torkham crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying its prolonged closure has caused billions of dollars in losses.
Speaking at a press conference in Landi Kotal on Thursday, chamber president Yousuf Afridi urged Pakistan to keep bilateral trade separate from political issues.
Afridi said the border had been closed for almost a year, affecting thousands of traders, transporters, labourers, shopkeepers and customs clearing agents. He accused the federal government of failing to fulfil its commitments to review border policies, promote bilateral trade and address security concerns.
He said Pakistan had so far suffered an estimated $2.5 billion in losses, including $1.64 billion in exports and $817 million in imports. A further Rs7.7 billion had reportedly been lost in provincial cess revenue due to the closure.
Afridi also criticised Pakistan for failing to hold a promised meeting with business representatives on resolving border issues and restoring trade with Afghanistan.
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