Iran War and Strait Closure Deepen Global Hunger Crisis

The ongoing war in Iran and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz have sharply raised global fuel costs. Higher fuel prices have inflated the operating expenses of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and pushed food prices up 20-30 % worldwide. WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau warned that such price spikes translate directly into reduced consumption for the world’s poorest, intensifying acute-hunger risk.

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The WFP’s financial base has eroded dramatically. U.S. contributions fell from more than $4 billion in 2024 to roughly $731 million in 2026—a 40 % year-on-year decline. The United States remains the agency’s largest donor, yet funding cuts under the Trump administration have left the organization “thankful” but strained. The shortfall forces the WFP to make unprecedented trade-offs, such as reallocating supplies from moderately hungry populations to those facing starvation.

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Field reports confirm the widening impact. In Sri Lanka, Somalia, and Afghanistan, WFP staff observe dwindling food access as prices soar. In South Sudan, a famine-prone region can only be reached by costly air bridges, limiting aid to other emergency-food-insecure zones. Sudan already has 20 million people classified as food-insecure, while displaced households in Lebanon and repeated attacks on WFP assets in Ukraine (including a missile strike on a Dnipro warehouse) further strain distribution networks.

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• U.S. funding 2026: ? $731 million (vs. > $4 billion in 2024).

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• Funding decline: 40 % drop year-on-year.

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• Projected acute-hunger surge: 45 million additional people by July if oil stays above $100 per barrel.

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• Food-price increase: 20-30 % rise linked to fuel cost spikes.

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• Sudan food insecurity: 20 million people.

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Skau emphasized that the conflict’s ripple effects will persist even if the Strait reopens, urging wealthy nations to “step up” and mitigate the humanitarian fallout. He framed global hunger as a security issue, noting that a “hungry world is an unstable world.” The United States, while still the top donor, has not increased its contribution despite the heightened need, prompting the WFP to seek additional commitments from other governments.

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Analysts within the WFP point to the absence of a funding surge that typically follows major crises such as the Ukraine war or the COVID-19 pandemic. The 40 % funding drop, coupled with the inability to fully support women-headed households in Afghanistan or to sustain costly air bridges in South Sudan, illustrates the agency’s constrained capacity.

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• “In many places, we’re already taking from the hungry to give to the starving,” — Carl Skau, Acting Executive Director, WFP

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• “when the price of food goes up 20-30%, well, they eat 20-30% less.” — Carl Skau

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• “Last year, it was a 40% drop in funding year on year,” — Carl Skau

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• “We will also have a conversation around what they can do to push others to do more,” — Carl Skau

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• “hungry world is an unstable world.” — Carl Skau

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• “I think there is agreement and consensus among Americans and beyond that children should not go to bed hungry. Children should not starve,” — Carl Skau

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The projection of 45 million additional people facing acute hunger relies on oil-price thresholds; no independent verification of this figure is provided. Likewise, the exact volume of disrupted fertilizer shipments to Sudan remains unspecified, limiting assessment of agricultural impact.

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The WFP calls for immediate replenishment of donor pledges and for coordinated diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Until fuel prices stabilize, the agency anticipates continued strain on its operations and a prolonged escalation of food insecurity across the most vulnerable regions.

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