According to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the severe disruptions to supply chains and maritime routes are impacting the availability and prices of essential products, exacerbating precarity and vulnerability.
“The escalation in the Middle East continues to have devastating consequences on civilians and their livelihoods, with global repercussions,” said Jorge Moreira da Silva, Director-General of UNOPS in a statement. These consequences directly affect the daily lives of populations and complicate the delivery of humanitarian aid.
“These disruptions and closures of airspace, transportation, maritime routes, and key humanitarian crossings across the Middle East have implications on humanitarian operations.”
The blockade of Hormuz raises concerns about price increases
This situation goes beyond roads and transportation – it also affects vital strategic points for global trade. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil production typically passes, is effectively blocked due to the war in the Middle East, which began on February 28 with Israeli-American strikes against Iran. This route is also important for transporting large volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers.
According to the UN agency, attacks on commercial ships, blockaded ships, and sailors threaten the delivery of essential products, risking a rise in food prices. Vulnerable populations in the Middle East are at risk. “After decades of turmoil, wars, economic stagnation, sanctions, and socio-economic crises, the people in the region deserve and need peace, stability, and sustainable development,” emphasized Mr. Moreira da Silva.
This warning comes as projections of food insecurity are concerning. The number of people suffering from hunger worldwide is expected to increase by tens of millions.
The most vulnerable populations are in danger
A war that spreads in the Gulf could also threaten remittance flows, mainly towards South Asia. Tensions in the region have economic and humanitarian repercussions. In Gaza, for example, access restrictions limit the entry of vital supplies and hinder humanitarian operations. Developing countries in Asia and Africa are at risk of being severely affected.
To make matters worse, the conflict in the Middle East is affecting fertilizer markets. “What threatens food security in countries where famine or food insecurity are most severe, particularly in Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia,” stressed the UNOPS chief, highlighting that “the only way to end this chaos and the suffering of people is through a diplomatic and peaceful solution.”
The IAEA provides an update on the Iranian Bushehr nuclear power plant
In addition, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on talks between its Director-General, Rafael Grossi, and the director of Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear company whose technology is used in the Bushehr nuclear power plant, located on the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf.
An airstrike that occurred on Wednesday, March 18, about 350 meters from the Bushehr plant “hit and destroyed” a structure, but did not cause any damage to the reactor or injure any personnel, Mr. Grossi confirmed at that time.
Over a week later, the IAEA reiterated that, in line with the “seven essential pillars of nuclear security,” “no military action should endanger the physical integrity and security of nuclear power plants and their operating personnel.”
