Middle East crisis fuelling global food inflation, 363m risk
FILE - The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building during an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York. As 191 countries approach the end to a four-week conference to review the landmark U.N. treaty aimed at curbing the spread of nuclear weapons, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and takeover of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and rivalries between the West and China were posing key obstacles to agreement on a final document. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
By Uche Usim
The ongoing crisis in the Middle East is taking a grave toll on global food inflation, disrupting supply chains and increasing hunger risks across Africa and Asia.
This was revealed in the latest article from the World Food Programme (WFP), the food-assistance arm of the United Nations.
The agency said the conflict is causing widespread transport delays, port congestion and rerouting of shipping routes, making it more expensive and slower to move food, fuel, fertiliser and medicine to vulnerable regions.
WFP estimates that if the crisis continues through mid-year, about 45 million more people could fall into hunger, with nearly two-thirds of them in Africa and Asia. This would raise the global total of acutely food-insecure people to 363 million.
In Nigeria, Somalia and Myanmar, households are already reporting sharp increases in food and transport costs linked to higher global shipping and energy prices.
The WFP quoted an Abuja trader, Mummy Christiana as saying that rising prices have severely reduced her purchasing power. “It’s affecting me a lot,” she said. “With my 5,000 naira (about US$3.70), I can hardly buy anything.”
In Somalia, Mogadishu resident Aweys said fuel and food prices have been increasing daily. In Myanmar, similar spikes are being recorded for basic staples such as rice, alongside surging diesel costs.
“The impact is clear. When supply chains are disrupted, it’s felt when they cash out at the supermarket.
“Delays and higher transport costs push up food prices, and families who spend 50 to 70 percent of their income on food are the first to go without,” said Corinne Fleischer, WFP Director of Supply Chain.
She added that rising logistics costs are also reducing the reach of humanitarian operations.
“Keeping humanitarian supply chains moving is not optional. They are literal lifelines for millions of people already on the brink of hunger,” she said.
In East Africa, WFP said disruptions in Red Sea shipping routes have forced cargo diversions around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing delivery times and costs. In Somalia, the agency warned that livestock exports and essential imports are under pressure as fuel and food prices rise by up to 20 percent in some areas.
“In the end, things are going to get more expensive. The shelves aren’t going to be bare, it’s just that people won’t be able to pay for the things on the shelves,” said Moctar Aboubacar, WFP Head of Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping for East and Southern Africa.
In Kenya, farmers are struggling with fertiliser shortages and higher input costs, with reports of long queues and rationing at distribution points.
In West and Central Africa, WFP said prolonged price shocks could push an additional 10.4 million people into acute hunger. “If prices of a basic food basket rise by just 10 percent, households would spend more than 90 percent of their income on food,” said Koffi Akakpo, WFP Regional Research and Assessment Advisor.
In Myanmar, diesel prices have increased by nearly 200 percent compared to pre-crisis levels, while food costs continue to rise across both urban and remote conflict-affected areas.
“The cost of living is rising substantially, and we expect it to continue,” said Takahiro Utsumi, WFP Head of Research, Assessment and Monitoring in Myanmar.
He warned that fuel shortages and fertilizer constraints could further weaken food production in the coming agricultural season.
WFP said it is adjusting its operations in affected countries, including shifting to bulk food distributions, sourcing closer to affected communities and expanding cash-based assistance to cut logistics costs.
However, the agency cautioned that funding constraints and rising operational expenses could limit its ability to meet growing needs.
“If it drags on, our fear is it will only add to the misery of millions of people already enduring multiple crises,” Utsumi said. “More and more lives will be pushed over the brink.”
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