WFP Warns Middle East Crisis Driving Millions Into Global Hunger Surge
The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the ongoing Middle East crisis is intensifying global food insecurity, pushing millions of people in already vulnerable countries closer to hunger as food, fuel, and fertilizer prices continue to rise.
In a new assessment, the UN agency said the ripple effects of the conflict are being felt far beyond the region, deepening humanitarian challenges in countries already struggling with conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability.
The report estimates that an additional 2.5 million people in Somalia, 1.3 million in Sri Lanka, and 2.3 million in Afghanistan are now unable to meet basic food needs. In many cases, households are facing acute levels of hunger as economic pressures worsen.
WFP officials noted that the situation is unfolding after earlier projections suggested that up to 45 million people worldwide could fall into acute food insecurity if the crisis continued alongside sustained high oil prices. The agency said those warnings are now becoming reality.
According to WFP Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service Director Jean-Martin Bauer, the global community is witnessing a rapid deterioration in food access. He stressed that rising costs of essential goods are accelerating hunger in real time across multiple regions.
The report highlighted that countries heavily dependent on imports and external markets are the most exposed. In Somalia, nearly 60% of households may be unable to meet basic needs by 2026, driven by reliance on imported oil and cereals.
Sri Lanka remains vulnerable as it recovers from a prolonged economic downturn, with heavy dependence on Middle Eastern energy supplies and significant exposure to fluctuations in remittances and export markets such as tea and labor income.
In Afghanistan, pre-existing food insecurity affecting nearly 13.8 million people is being worsened by strong trade links with neighboring Iran, which plays a major role in both imports and exports. This dependency increases exposure to regional economic shocks.
WFP also warned that the impact of the crisis is expected to persist even if regional tensions ease, as farmers face rising fertilizer costs and fuel shortages during critical planting periods. These factors could reduce agricultural output and further drive up food prices globally.
At the same time, the agency is confronting funding constraints and higher operational costs. It estimates that it will be forced to assist 1.5 million fewer people than planned this year, with up to 9 million individuals at risk of losing humanitarian support if conditions worsen.
The report underscores growing concerns that geopolitical instability is translating into widening humanitarian pressures, deepening hunger risks across already fragile economies.
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