US-Israel War on Iran Triggers Record Global Hunger

In February 2026 the United States and Israel began a war against Iran. Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz; Washington responded with a counter-blockade, pushing Brent crude above $100 per barrel for weeks and raising food-transport costs. Donor pledges to the UN World Food Programme fell from $9.8 billion in 2024 to $6.5 billion in 2025, with the United States cutting its share from $4.4 billion to $2.1 billion. The shortfall forced programme and staff cuts.

The Guardian

The WFP estimates 363 million people face acute hunger, including 45 million linked to the Middle-East conflict and oil-price surge. Two famines were declared in 2025—Gaza and Sudan—the first such declarations in decades. Over 1,000 aid workers have been killed; 38 WFP staff remain detained. Transport cost hikes have added roughly 30 percent to aid expenses. In East Africa, reliance on Middle-East fertilizer imports creates a shortfall that threatens the planting season and could cut yields for up to nine months.

The Guardian

Funding cuts forced the WFP to lay off 5,000 staff in Afghanistan, reducing its reach from 10 million to 2 million people. Border closures stalled aid routes, leaving 85,000 tons of food for Afghanistan stuck at the Pakistan border and later rerouted via Dubai, Turkey and the Caspian Sea. Higher oil prices raised transport costs by about 30 percent, further straining the budget.

The Guardian

WFP acting executive director Carl Skau warned that the war and oil-price surge are driving historic hunger levels and that the agency must prioritize populations facing catastrophic famine. He said the funding shortfall has shifted aid from broad emergency assistance to a narrower focus on the most severe crises. Skau appealed to donors, the United States, to meet the $13 billion gap and prevent a further rise in acute food insecurity.

UN warning War helps drive global hunger to record level

The WFP’s projection that 45 million more people could face acute hunger assumes oil prices stay above $100 per barrel; Brent fell below that level in mid-May, creating uncertainty.

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• “We take from the hungry to give to the starving. That’s the reality,” — Carl Skau, Acting Executive Director, WFP

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• “Much of this is driven by conflict. Last year, we had two famines declared. That hasn’t happened in decades, so these are historic levels of hunger.” — Carl Skau, WFP

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• “The price of food and energy is so closely correlated that in some places if the price of energy goes up 30%, food inflation almost meets that,” — Carl Skau, WFP

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• “We had to let go of 5,000 people in Afghanistan. It meant we went from supporting 10 million to 2 million. It was a huge, huge drop last year.” — Carl Skau, WFP

The Guardian

The WFP’s 2026 appeal seeks $13 billion; only $2.8 billion has been pledged. Securing additional contributions, especially from the United States, is critical to sustain aid and mitigate the fertilizer shortage threatening East African harvests.

The Guardian