The World Food Program (WFP) warned that the conflict in the Middle East is leading millions of people to severe hunger, as it anticipated if oil prices remained high.
Consequences for food security
According to WFP analysis in three vulnerable countries, an additional 2.5 million people in Somalia, 2.3 million in Afghanistan and 1.3 million in Sri Lanka are struggling to meet their basic food needs.
In March, the agency predicted that 45 million people could become food insecure by the end of June. That figure would be added to the 318 million who already suffer from it globally.
“We stand by those forecasts,” said Carl Skau, interim executive director of the WFP. “The relationship between energy and food prices is very close in many places, and in the poorest countries people already spend all their money on food; when prices rise, they eat less.”
The WFP report, released on Thursday, points out that the crisis in the Middle East generates “significant contagion effects” on food and fuel prices, altering trade. In already vulnerable countries, these factors combine to rapidly affect food security and livelihoods.
“These impacts are expected to intensify in the coming months, even if the crisis in the Middle East subsides,” the WFP added.
Skau mentioned other food insecure hotspots: Sudan, Gaza, southern Lebanon, Yemen and Haiti. The WFP has had to limit aid due to funding cuts. Skau urged donors to increase their contributions, especially for Somalia and Afghanistan, “because the human consequences of not doing more will be enormous.”
